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inna_hey t1_j51jjdz wrote

Reply to comment by volyund in Is there any difference in efficacy when a vaccine is administered somewhere other than the upper arm (e.g. on the foot)? by MercurioLeCher

I'd always assumed injection site pain was due to the "injury" of being stabbed with a needle, but it makes more sense that it'd be due to a localized immune reaction.

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volyund t1_j51lfmi wrote

Nope, the needle they use is thin enough that if there wasn't an inflammation, any pain would be minimal (think how long the puncture site hurts after a blood draw.

What hurts is your immune system reaction to the vaccine or it's components (adjuvants) itself, because that's necessary for immunizing against the antigen.

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