How long does a flu shot hurt?

Answer 1

All injections are uncomfortable, there is no getting around the fact that you will feel it and it might sting. But as intramuscular (IM) shots go, flu shots don't hurt very much, especially if given correctly. There is also a new intradermal (ID) injection for flu that has a 90% smaller needle than IM. See below for more info about ID flu vaccine.

Shots can vary in how much you feel them depending on who gives them. The needle should go in fast, and the vaccine should go in slowly, and then you will have less discomfort. How much a shot hurts also depends on how much you expect it to hurt, so try to relax your muscles, take deep breaths and think happy thoughts.

More:

The key is to not look, do not tense up because then it will hurt worse.

More facts about the ID flu vaccine:

• Approved for use in adults only (ages 18 - 64), given in a single dose
• Inactivated type of vaccine ("dead" virus particles used)
• May provide increased immunity over other types of flu vaccines due to the reactions of specialized immune system cells available in the skin
• Preservative free
• Injected into the skin layers, usually in the upper arm (deltoid) area
• Microinjection system provides:
  • Improved acceptance by needle-averse individuals
  • Needle is not readily visible to the patient
  • Needle size 90% smaller than IM needles, 30 gauge
  • Needle depth 1.5 mm
  • Smaller amount of vaccine solution injected 0.1 mL
  • Less antigen per injection, 27 mcg compared to 45 mcg IM
  • Trials indicate less pain with injections
  • Can cause more local injection site symptoms of mild to moderate redness, swelling, and other site reactions than IM, for 3-7 days
  • Fewer systemic reactions (fever, headaches, muscle aches, etc.)
  • 75% of trial participants were very satisfied
  • 96% of clinicians giving the ID vaccines would recommend

Anecdotal information from some WikiAnswers contributors:

• I just got back home from getting mine, and it did hurt worse than the seasonal flu shot that I got before.
• When I got my Swine Flu shot I was pleasantly surprised to have less local reaction to the shot than with other flu shots. Usually, my arm will get red where they put the shot and be very sore when I try to move it for several days. It did not do this with my swine flu vaccination. (If you get a sore arm, the thing to do to make it better faster is to use it normally.)

Answer 2

Mine didn't this year at all.

The worst one ever hurt for about 5 seconds and sort of ached for a couple days, but not enough to bother me unless my jerk Friend poked me in that spot.