Swelling of the lymph nodes is a sign that your body is producing antibodies to fight an infection, exactly what a vaccine is meant to do. But doctors say that getting one shortly before mammography can lead to a false positive.
The Society of Breast Imaging warns the medical community about this temporary side effect now that the COVID-19 vaccine is being given.
Dr. Priya Sareen of the Lehigh Valley Health Network says she sees a lot of swollen lymph nodes in women who have recently been vaccinated.
“It leads to more anxiety, because you know, when we see them for the first time, unfortunately we have to call the women back and do an ultrasound to document the lymph nodes,” Sareen said.
Sareen says additional monitoring is needed.
But health officials are trying to avoid false positives by changing the pre-screening process for mammograms, educating women about the temporary side effects of the vaccine and when women should get mammograms.
“About 4 to 6 weeks after the second shot,” Sareen said. “You know we certainly don’t want women to delay vaccination, or if you know you have some time before you get the first shot, do it first.”
Sareen says the important thing to remember is that the side effect of swollen lymph nodes is only temporary, and women over the age of 40 should not delay preventive screening or give up the vaccine.
Sareen says both are powerful tools to save lives.