MADISON, Wis. — Some people who are getting the Moderna vaccine are reporting rashes showing up on their arms. Doctors are calling it “COVID Arm”.
UW Health Anesthesiologist Dr. Bill Hartman describes it as “a raised, sometimes hard, sometimes hot redness around the site that got injected.”
Hartman said the rash isn’t something to be concerned about, but it’s more of an annoyance for those who experience it.
“It’s more of a sensitive reaction,” Hartman said. “It’s not something we are concerned about in terms of people having an anaphylactic reaction or a hypersensitivity reaction.”
The New England Journal of Medicine posted numerous photos of what some of the rashes look like.
Hartman said the rash should go away on its own after a week but people can apply a hot or cold compress on the rash for more immediate relief.
Doctors are not sure why the rash is only occurring with the Moderna vaccine.
“We are seeing one or two a day but out of the number of injections that are being done, it’s still a very low percentage,” Hartman said.
Hartman said the reaction can sometimes migrate to the other arm but it typically only shows up at the site of injection and is showing up more commonly in people under 60 years old. Hartman added that the rash is typically only being seen after the first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Doctors say this reaction should not deter people from getting the vaccine.
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