• Administering Vaccines
  • General Issues

If the lymph nodes under a patient’s arm were surgically removed, should we avoid giving vaccines in that arm?

We are aware that some surgeons advise against vaccination in an arm where lymph nodes were dissected. ACIP does not address this, so feel free to use your professional judgment in determining whether to use the arm that was operated on, the other arm (if not affected), or the anterolateral aspect of the thigh, which is an acceptable secondary route for adult immunization.

Last reviewed: December 28, 2022

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