Flu vaccinations are most commonly given in the upper, non-dominant arm. Although rare, sometimes the medical provider giving the vaccine can insert the needle too high, causing damage to the injury to the shoulder. The medical and scientific literature has classified these real vaccine-related injuries as “SIRVA” or Shoulder Injuries Related to Vaccine Administration.
These SIRVA injuries often manifest themselves as conditions like bursitis, which is fluid accumulation and inflammation of the bursa that cushion the shoulder joint. This can often be a very painful and debilitating injury, and often requires months of physical therapy, steroid injections to help with pain, and even sometimes surgery to fix the damage done.
SIRVA injuries, like bursitis, brought on by vaccinations are actually the number one type of vaccine injury claim filed every year with the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.