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With tens of thousands of new vaccinators and millions of doses of
COVID-19 vaccine being given each month, it is critical that
vaccinators – both new and experienced – know how to precisely
locate where intramuscular (IM) injections in the arm should be
given. For people age 3 years and older, a correctly placed IM
injection is given in the upper arm, in the deltoid muscle, into
its middle and thickest part, at a 90-degree angle to the skin. CDC has helpful instructional handouts
for vaccinating children age 7 through 18
and
adults that illustrate the anatomical landmarks for
where to inject into the deltoid muscle.
For COVID-19 vaccinators, CDC highlights this same information on
web pages specifically addressing vaccine administration of the
three COVID-19
vaccines authorized for use in the U.S.:
One of the most common errors in IM injection is introducing the
needle either too high on the shoulder or too low on the arm.
Injections given too high
(into the shoulder joint) or too low (into tendons and soft tissue)
have the possibility of leading to serious shoulder or arm pain
that can last several months.
SIRVA
(shoulder injury related to vaccine administration) is
preventable by paying careful attention to the anatomical landmarks
for correct placement in the deltoid.
The
Immunization Action Coalition
(IAC) has free
print materials available on its website that teach vaccine administration techniques.
Downloads of these IAC materials have skyrocketed since December
2020 when COVID-19 vaccinations began. Here are IAC’s most popular
materials
on this topic:
Additional IAC materials on vaccine administration
Additional CDC resources on vaccine administration
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| This page was updated on
May 27, 2021. |
| This page was reviewed on
May 27, 2021. |
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ACIP Recommendations
Vaccine Information Statements 
