A:
Its not normal. But upper arm pain and swelling after a pneumonia injection definitely can happen.
The pneumonia vaccine helps protect people against one type of pneumonia called pneumococcal (NEW-moe-KOK-al) pneumonia. Pneumonia can be caused by many different bacteria, viruses, and other infectious agents.
Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common bacterial pneumonia. And even with prompt antibiotic treatment the infection can overwhelm the bodys immune system. The vaccine prevents this one type of pneumonia in about 80% of people that get the vaccine.
A little pain at the injection site is common. The reaction you had is more likely to happen if you had received the pneumonia shot in the past. This is especially true if you had the vaccine within the past 4 to 5 years.
In addition to pain and swelling, you may also notice redness and warmth in the area around the injection site. The lymph node under the arm may enlarge and become tender. You could have a low-grade fever. Occasionally, the temperature could be as high as 102 degrees.
The treatment is usually rest, plenty of fluids, and acetaminophen or ibuprofen to decrease the pain and fever. If the symptoms continue to get worse, call your doctor for advice.
