Getting a Mammogram After Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine

We’ve all heard about the mild side effects of feeling a little tired or achy for a day or two after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Those symptoms are the normal reaction of your immune system working hard to make antibodies against the virus. This immune reaction can also surprisingly cause a mammogram to come back looking abnormal.

When your immune system is producing antibodies, it is normal for your lymph nodes to temporarily swell. If the lymph nodes in your armpits swell, it could be mistaken for a tumor. Because of this, it may be a good idea to wait and schedule your mammogram for a few weeks after getting the vaccine.

If you’ve recently had the COVID-19 vaccine, it is recommended that you wait 4-6 weeks before having a mammogram. This gives your body’s immune reaction time to do its work and settle down.

Of course, if you notice a lump in your breast or anything else you are concerned about, you should consult your doctor as soon as possible. Just let them know if you’ve recently had your COVID vaccine so that they can take that into consideration if they see any abnormalities.

You should let your radiologist know which arm you received that vaccine in as well as any other side effects you have experienced from the vaccine.

Providing them with all of this information will help give you peace of mind, and help your radiologist read your mammogram results more accurately.

Both the COVID-19 vaccine and mammogram screenings are extremely important ways to ensure that you stay healthy. Neither one should be neglected. It is simply important that you take into account when you time the two so as not to cause any unnecessary stress or worry.