Following the Moderna vaccine I received 3 days ago, my arm is swollen, red, very painful and itchy Should I be concerned?

Hello ma'am,

It is possible that after the vaccine (regardless of whether it's Moderna or Pfizer) you may develop pain at the injection site with redness. This can last a few days.

However, what we are more concerned about if the possibility of a skin infection - this is possible with any vaccine, injection or even insect bites.

Signs of a skin infection are redness, warmth, pain and inflammation. Often the red area will get larger over time. The best way to determine if it is getting worse is to outline the red area with a stylus or marker (directly on the skin). This way you can easily see if the inflammation is getting worse or not.

Bref, I recommend tracing the outline and monitoring the progress. If the redness goes beyond the line, over the course of the day, well it will be important to see a doctor quickly. Otherwise if the redness diminishes and well the situation should fade in 1-2 days.

Hopefully this answers your question =)