What Is SIRVA?

Written by Patrick Lee
Medically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on September 07, 2025
5 min read

SIRVA is an acronym that stands for “shoulder injury related to vaccine administration.” SIRVA is the specific symptoms you may have in your shoulder after you get a vaccine, whether for the flu, COVID-19, or any other reason. The symptoms go beyond the more common side effects of getting a shot, such as soreness, redness, or swelling in the arm where you got jabbed.

SIRVA isn’t a medical diagnosis so much as it is a medical-legal description. The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program coined it in 2010 to reflect an increase in insurance claims for vaccine-related shoulder injuries.

But don’t hesitate to get shots because you’ve heard of this condition. It’s rare and preventable.

If you have SIRVA, you may feel serious pain in the affected shoulder or have trouble moving it as you normally would. The symptoms usually show up within 48 hours after you get a shot.

Unlike the common soreness you might feel after a vaccination, the pain from SIRVA doesn’t go away after a couple of days. It can last for months.

Research also suggests that over-the-counter pain meds don’t always ease the symptoms.

You can get SIRVA if the person giving you a vaccine doesn’t inject it in the right place in your arm.

They may inject it too high, too far to the side, or too low in your arm. They might also inject you too deeply. Any of these mistakes could damage important parts of your shoulder’s anatomy.

Can SIRVA be prevented?

Yes, SIRVA can be prevented using proper vaccination techniques.

Most people are trained to give shots correctly, which means picking the right spot on your arm. Vaccines are called intramuscular shots, which means they are given into a muscle. The right place to give this type of shot is in the middle, thickest part of the deltoid — a large triangular muscle that goes from your upper arm bone to your collarbone.

To prevent SIRVA and give these shots properly, many medical workers are trained to look or feel for specific physical “landmarks” on the arm that guide them to the deltoid muscle.

If a shot goes into the wrong place in your shoulder, the needle could hit a sensitive area, causing pain or swelling.

Here are some of the parts of your shoulder’s anatomy.

  • Ligaments: Tough bands of tissue that connect two bones in a joint
  • Tendons: Thick cords that connect muscles to bones
  • Bursa: A fluid-filled sac that cushions bones, tendons, and muscles in your shoulder joint
  • Nerves: The fibers that send electrochemical signals through your body

For example, depending on where the shot goes, you could get:

  • Arm weakness, numbness, or tingling
  • Bursitis, swelling of the sacs that cushion your bones
  • Frozen shoulder, in which you have stiffness or pain in your shoulder
  • Tendonitis, swelling of a tendon

SIRVA is rare. Researchers say it’s also underreported. One study estimated that for every million people, there may be one or two cases.

Talk to your doctor if you have bad pain or trouble moving your shoulder after you get a shot in your upper arm.

They’ll ask you about your symptoms, and they may do a physical exam. They might do tests to rule out other conditions that could bring on similar symptoms, such as an infection or a rheumatic disease like arthritis.

They may also recommend imaging tests, such as an:

  • Ultrasound, which uses sound waves to take a picture inside your body
  • MRI, which uses a magnet and radio waves to see inside your body

Your doctor might diagnose you with SIRVA if:

  • Your shoulder felt fine before the vaccine shot.
  • Your symptoms started within a certain number of hours or days after.
  • Your symptoms are only in your arm and shoulder area where you got jabbed.
  • Tests don’t spot signs of another health problem that would explain the symptoms.

Talk to your doctor if you have serious pain or trouble moving your arm or shoulder after you get vaccinated. If the doctor thinks you might have SIRVA, they may recommend treatments such as:

  • Physical therapy
  • Steroid shots
  • Anti-inflammatory drugs

You may need surgery if the injury is serious, but this is very rare.

Some experts say more research is needed to figure out the ideal treatment for SIRVA.

The little research available suggests that people with SIRVA who get treatment show “modest” improvements. But some have symptoms that never go away completely. For example, it’s possible to have ongoing shoulder pain and less range of motion.

What’s the recovery time and prognosis?

We need more research to understand the recovery time and prognosis for SIRVA. It depends on the person. 

One study suggests that most people with SIRVA have symptoms for at least six months, and fewer than 1 in 3 make a full recovery. But we need more research to know for sure.

SIRVA — which stands for “shoulder injury related to vaccine administration” — is a rare condition that causes longer-lasting symptoms after you get a shot. The pain usually shows up within 48 hours and may last weeks or months. Sometimes, SIRVA lasts even longer. Physical therapy, steroid shots, and anti-inflammatory drugs can help.

To prevent SIRVA, medical providers use proper vaccination techniques, including picking the right spot on your arm.

Here are some commonly asked questions about SIRVA.

Are certain vaccines more likely to cause SIRVA?

Many vaccines can cause SIRVA. One study reported that flu shots were the most commonly reported cause. But that could also be because of how common flu shots are.

What happens if SIRVA is left untreated?

If SIRVA is left untreated, the symptoms could last even longer. Untreated SIRVA may also cause lifelong disability.

Can SIRVA cause a rotator cuff tear?

Yes. If the shot is given into your rotator cuff, you could get a rotator cuff tear.