Is it possible I haven't actually been vaccinated?

[thelongwayhome]

Just been for my first Covid vaccination. I didn't feel it at all, but a fair amount of liquid was running down my arm. I asked the man if I could mop it up with a cotton ball and he said yes so didn't seem alarmed that it had happened. Have since gone home and asked my mum if this happened to her and she said no, which has made me wonder.
There's no sign of an injection site. Now, my arm isn't sore at all, it has been with every other vaccine I've had. Is this normal or have I not actually been vaccinated?

Me and DH just had our 2nd. He was joking that they didn’t actually do his as he didn’t feel it at all. I felt mine and have an achy arm. It was the same nurse that did us both so I’m sure she did the same thing for both of us.

There’s no injection mark on either of us.

I genuinely didn't feel mine at all.

You couldn't see where it was done. But didn't have liquid dripping down my arm. Did you ask why that happened?

It's totally normal not to feel it as the needle is really fine, and you don't have a lot of nerve endings in the area - it can develop soreness later as part of the body's response, but not always. It can be sore if you tense your arm, but lots if people feel nothing. It is also totally normal for a drop or two of liquid to escape when the needle is withdrawn after the jab. Plenty will gave stayed inside. Do not worry.

It's such a fine needle that I didn't feel one of my Covid vaccinations (bloody felt the other one, though), and you couldn't see where the needle had gone in either time. But liquid dribbling down your arm sounds weird. I hope a vaccinator who might know what happened with your jab can come along to explain.

@Unsoliciteddeckpic he sort of acted like he couldn't see it until I pointed out that the cotton was wet through, I naively assumed because he didn't say 'oh no, that's not right' that it was okay so didn't push it futher

I didn’t feel my first jab and there wasn’t a puncture mark on me. My arm only got sore hours later. Could the liquid be blood? I’ve seen a few cases now where there’s a trickle of blood afterwards.

I had a drop of blood after dose2 but obviously it was blood coloured.
Ive never bled after any other jab (they also pinched and arent supposed to do that.
You may get side effects so can be more sure. Thiugh if youve had pfizer it's more often dose 2.

[quote thelongwayhome]@Unsoliciteddeckpic he sort of acted like he couldn't see it until I pointed out that the cotton was wet through, I naively assumed because he didn't say 'oh no, that's not right' that it was okay so didn't push it futher[/quote]
That's a bit weird! I'd be slightly concerned about that too, as if the vaccine ran down your arm ?

Not a vaccinator but familiar with the preparation of these vaccines. There should not have been anything wet other then the contents of the syringe, which should all go in your arm. I would be wondering whether the needle had become disengaged from the syringe and the liquid escaped around the sides.

The lack of puncture mark and pain is unsurprising. Mine didn’t hurt til much later in the day and that was a whole arm thing.

I would go back to the vaccination centre and report it, and ask to speak to one of the senior members of staff. They will have systems to deal with incidents. Good luck.

It was clear liquid and a decent enough amount that it ran down past my elbow. So definitely not blood!

I was thinking of calling my Dr's in the am when they're open if it could be possible that it wasn't done properly

@WiseUpJanetWeiss it was done at my pharmacy, I can't physically go back in today but may try calling, saw your post after I'd posted about calling my docs surgery

I wouldn't expect there to be enough liquid in the vaccine to have a cotton pad wet through. Surely it's only a ml or two? Very odd OP maybe ring 111

It was clear liquid and a decent enough amount that it ran down past my elbow. So definitely not blood!
Certainly sounds like something went wrong. Do ask your doctor what they suggest.

Astra Zenica is 0.5ml and Pfizer is 0.3ml so certainly not enough liquid to wet through a cotton pad.

Could he have spilt some hand sanitiser on you or something?

@MindTheBumps I'm not sure, I've just called the pharmacy and they took my name and the time I was in and she said she was going to speak to the man who saw me and see if he remembers what happened and get back to me.

Reassured by the lack of feeling and injection site from other posters though! I'm hoping it was something easily explainable as I'd rather not try get another day off to go, and that I am actually vaccinated of course

0.3mL is enough to cause a significant drip.

Did they use an alcohol swab before doing the injection? Could it have been excess liquid from that?

My arm didn't start hurting until the evening after I'd had my first jab in the morning, and the other side-effects also came late evening/overnight. I think if you don't experience any side-effects in the next 24 hours, I would worry something went wrong.

I honestly wasn't sure if I'd had my first jab as I've never had a jab like it. It felt like someone mildly scratching my arm. No soreness. It was AZ though and I had the feeling rubbish and feverish for 24 hours so knew I'd had it. 2nd jab felt much more normal and sore though.
I agree that liquid running down would concern me too that it hadn't gone in

I’ve just asked my sister she’s a vax nurse, the drip sounds very suspicious to be honest. How annoying for you. I don’t know how you would even possibly know other than taking an antibody test in a few weeks.

I'd want the whole dose injected into me not dribbled down my arm!

I didn't feel my first but felt my second.

I didn't feel my 1st but my arm went sore pretty soon after and there was no dribbling

My dh had the Pfizer a couple of weeks ago. He said to the lady ‘I’m ready when you are’ she laughed and said she’d already done it. He said he didn’t feel a thing, his arm did hurt a tiny bit the next day.