Shoulder vaccination: what is done, what trace remains

Shoulder vaccination: what is it done for?

In Russia and the countries of the former USSR, there are two main vaccines that are administered to the left shoulder. These are vaccinations against smallpox and tuberculosis (BCG vaccine). It is after them that scars remain on the hand. BCG is a vaccination that leaves behind a small and imperceptible scar (2-5 mm), but after the smallpox vaccine, the marks may be irregular in shape, structure, recessed relative to the surface of the skin and large in size (up to one and a half centimeters). The appearance of scars is caused by the fact that weakened but living bacteria are introduced under the skin - they cause a natural reaction of the body in the form of inflammation and the formation of a vesicle at the injection site. This immunological response is necessary for the development of immunity.

Smallpox

Modern children are not vaccinated in the shoulder against smallpox. In the USSR, the smallpox vaccine was administered to everyone, since outbreaks of this disease were periodically recorded. Since 1978, this disease has been considered defeated, and therefore mass immunization has been cancelled. However, several scars from repeated vaccinations can be seen on the hands of older people. Thanks to widespread immunization, a disease that killed millions of people has completely disappeared. Only a milder version of the disease remains - chickenpox, but vaccination against it is not mandatory.

BCG

One of the first vaccinations for a baby in the maternity hospital is called BCG. The tuberculosis vaccine is administered immediately after birth - on the 3rd...7th day. Artificially grown, weakened strains of tuberculosis bacilli form immunity against this dangerous disease in a newborn. Antigens in an attenuated form cannot cause disease, but they stimulate the production of anti-tuberculosis antibodies, which protect a person from a dangerous disease for 5-7 years.

Revaccination is usually carried out at 7 and 14 years of age, after which immunity remains for many years. The scar from repeated vaccination is invisible, since the body already has antibodies to tuberculosis bacteria, and the process at the injection site is not so intense. Therefore, people born after 1978 usually have only one scar - from the BCG vaccination at birth in the shoulder.

Although there are exceptions. Sometimes a vaccination performed as part of a revaccination also causes an intense inflammatory process. After such a pronounced reaction, the formation of a post-vaccination scar is likely. Therefore, some people over forty can have as many as three scars on their shoulders.

Why does a vaccine scar remain on my shoulder?

The purpose of vaccination is for the body to produce antibodies against the infectious agent. This allows you, in case of infection with a dangerous disease, not to get sick, or to suffer from it in a mild form. Immunization is carried out with specific vaccines; they are a liquid medium containing weakened pathogenic microorganisms.

When they get under the skin, they cause a local inflammatory process and the death of some skin cells.

The body immediately begins to produce specific antibodies. As a result, the inflammation goes away on its own, the skin wound heals, leaving a small scar. Its nature depends on the characteristics of the immune system and human tissues.

The final formation of the scar is completed after a year. In some people it is barely noticeable, and after a while it may not leave a trace, while in others a noticeable scar forms in the form of a depression or a thickening that rises above the skin.

Which vaccine leaves a mark on the left shoulder?

As we found out, scars remain when vaccines against BCG and smallpox are given in childhood. They are administered intradermally, the process of antibody production is accompanied by inflammation at the injection site. As a result, after healing, a small scar remains. Sometimes ADSM vaccination (against tetanus and diphtheria) is performed in the shoulder area, and rubella vaccination is given, but there are no traces after them. Vaccines administered in childhood must be noted on the vaccination certificate. If you have this document on hand, you can always find out which drugs were injected into the left shoulder.

Effect of tetanus vaccine

The only way to avoid infection is immunization with the tetanus vaccine. When and where do you get a tetanus shot? Four doses are recommended during childhood, followed by additional doses every 10 years. The tetanus vaccine for children under one year of age is given to the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, and less often to the deltoid muscle.

Vaccination is usually carried out according to the schedule:

the first – at the age of two months;
the second – four months;
third – six months;
the fourth - from fifteen to eighteen months.

Subsequent vaccinations should be carried out every ten years. For older children, adolescents and adults, the drug is injected into the deltoid muscle.

Effect of tetanus vaccine: The type of vaccination for this disease is called artificial active immunity. This type of immunity occurs when a dead or weakened pathogen in the body triggers an immune response—the production of antibodies. This means that if tetanus bacillus ever enters the body, the immune system will “recognize” it and respond quickly. After three doses of the vaccine, almost every person develops immunity.

Emergency prophylaxis of tetanus in adults is necessary when a person does not remember the date of his last immunization. In these cases, the vaccine should be given as soon as possible, preferably within 48 hours after the injury. If you stepped on a rusty nail, in the emergency room, in addition to treating the wound, they will definitely give you a tetanus injection.

What causes the appearance of scars or their absence?

A person receives several vaccinations throughout his life. Why do visible marks on the skin remain only after the administration of BCG and smallpox vaccines?

Injections of the vaccine preparations under consideration are performed intradermally: the first injection against smallpox and all anti-tuberculosis ones. During vaccination, bacteria enter the skin. In response to their presence, an inflammatory process (sometimes even necrotic) is formed around the injection site; the body forms a protective capsule against microbes (pustule). Therefore, sometimes the left shoulder hurts after vaccination, the injection site becomes hard, and there is a slight increase in temperature. This is a natural process that cannot be interfered with - there is a risk of interfering with the formation of antibodies to the disease.

The healing process may take several weeks or even months. After the administration of the BCG vaccine, a compaction forms at the injection site, noticeably rising above the skin. This seal is filled with liquid. Periodically, the blister bursts, suppuration occurs, then the wound heals again. This may happen repeatedly. The doctor who performed the vaccination makes recommendations to ensure that the healing process is as painless as possible.

In any case, a scar on the shoulder is an indicator for the doctor that the vaccination was done correctly and gave a normal reaction. Therefore, you should not worry about marks that are a few millimeters in size. Its absence, on the contrary, may mean that the vaccine was administered incorrectly. Or a protective reaction does not occur due to the fact that the child already has immunity against the disease - congenital or acquired as a result of contact with a sick person.

The absence of a characteristic scar on the hand may indicate the following.

The patient's skin has excellent innate regenerative properties.
The vaccination was not done for objective reasons, for example, due to contraindications - contact with a patient with tuberculosis prior to the procedure, immunodeficiency conditions, and the like.
Parents and other official representatives issued a refusal to vaccinate for subjective reasons.

Is it possible to avoid education?

The formation of scar tissue is a reaction of the skin to the action of the vaccine ingredients. You can avoid its occurrence in 2 cases:

If you don't vaccinate, you risk your baby's health. A person can be a carrier of the tuberculosis bacillus, actively spread it, and have no external manifestations of the disease.
The vaccination was done in violation of the rules for administering the drug. If the drug is injected into muscle tissue, an abscess develops within 4–6 weeks. This is accompanied by an inflammatory process, itching, and fever. If there are no traces of vaccine administration on the skin, and a painful lump is felt under the skin, then you should consult a surgeon and have the tumor removed.

The characteristics of the skin play a certain role. If the dermis is not prone to the formation of scar tissue, the seam will be small and invisible. The more prone the skin is to scarring, the larger the scar.

We recommend reading:

The scar itches: what to do with it
Ointments for scars and scars: a review of drugs
Duration and signs of normal healing of a postoperative scar

How to prevent scarring

A small vaccination scar on the left shoulder is normal. Its size depends on the innate rate of cell regeneration and the skin's ability to regenerate. Nurses at the maternity hospital know how to inoculate the shoulder with minimal damage to the skin. However, after the vaccine is administered, the body may behave differently, so you should not think that the large size of the scar is the result of a medical error. A scar is formed as the body produces antibodies to microbes and subsequent cell regeneration. Its size depends little on the actions of medical personnel. If the presence and diameter of the vaccination mark were determined by the experience and competence of the medical staff, it would not be noticeable to everyone. By the way, the scar remains even in those people whose childhood post-vaccination wound healed quickly and was practically not inflamed.

It is useless to take special measures to prevent the appearance of a scar. You cannot lubricate the crust with ointments or treat it with any other compositions - this will not affect the size of the scar, but will only disrupt its formation and the process of antibody production. In adulthood, if desired, scars can be removed by peeling or by getting a tattoo on top of them.

You should not refuse vaccination just because it will leave an unsightly scar. Vaccination against tuberculosis is very important - almost every person has “dormant” pathogens of the disease in their body. At any moment they can “wake up”, or a person will receive an additional dose of microbes upon contact with another patient - and tuberculosis will begin. The vaccine helps develop immunity and prevent the sudden onset of the disease.

Vaccine care rules

There is no point in paying increased attention to the process occurring in the area where the injection is performed. If the vaccine turns red, this is normal in the first days (or even weeks) after vaccination. The body must independently produce antibodies to the introduced microbes in order to form immunity. Despite the pain in the first days, the vaccination does not limit the movement of the arm. It is necessary to ensure that the child does not scratch the injection site and does not violate the integrity of the wound. In addition, you should not:

lubricate the crust with ointment;
treat with antiseptics;
apply a bandage;
remove the crust.

In a word, there is no need to touch the vaccination site again. If possible, there should be access to air; do not wear too tight clothes. Wool fabrics may irritate the injection site.

The injection site hurts after a tetanus shot

Side effects after tetanus vaccination:

redness, swelling, and soreness around the injection site are observed in 25–85 percent of vaccinated people;
fever, fatigue and muscle pain occur in less than 1% of people;
Severe allergic reactions occur in one in 100,000 vaccinated people.

Like all medications, tetanus vaccines have side effects. The injection site hurts after a tetanus shot, there is a reaction around the injection area (redness, swelling), swelling of the entire shoulder - this means that the body “responds” to the injection of the vaccine.

Ways to get rid of a scar after vaccination

Many people have marks on the left shoulder after vaccination. But the skin of different people differs - for some, vaccine spots heal quickly and are minimal in size, while others dream of getting rid of large and unsightly scars. This can be done today by peeling - grinding the top layer of skin. By the time the scar forms, the process of developing immunity is complete; removing the scar will not affect it. There are several methods to get rid of scars:

mechanical grinding of the surface layers of the skin;
laser peeling;
chemical peeling with acids;
phenol peeling.

The laser method is the safest, does not cause pain and has virtually no contraindications. This cleaning of the upper layers of skin is especially important for older people who have numerous large scars after vaccination against smallpox.

However, you should not remove vaccine marks on the shoulder if there is a congenital tendency to form keloid scars. It manifests itself in the formation of thick and rough growths in places of deep skin trauma. With this peculiarity of the body, small scars should not be touched in order to avoid the appearance of even larger scars in the same place. Masking a scar with a tattoo when keloid scars form is also not worth it.

How to remove a scar on your hand after vaccination

After both types of vaccinations, scars are subject to correction if they represent a cosmetic defect. It is important to choose the most appropriate products depending on the nature and age of the scar.

For scars that are no more than 2 years old, results can be achieved by using external medications and folk remedies. You cannot count on them for old scars; in these cases, only special cosmetic procedures will be effective.

Use of drugs

Ointments, creams and gels contain heparin, which improves blood circulation, proteolytic enzymes that soften collagen fibers, biologically active substances that stimulate skin cell renewal, and plant extracts.

To resolve the scar on the left arm from vaccination, the following means are used:

Mederma,
Kelofibrase,
Contractubex,
Zeraderm-Ultra,
Dermatix-Ultra,
Solcoseryl.

They must be used regularly and for a long time, applying a small amount to a clean, dry surface of the scar with light rubbing, 2-3 times a day. The course of treatment can range from several months to a year.

Silicone patches give a good effect. They act like a mini-sauna - they moisturize and warm the scar, help soften it and restore healthy tissue. The patches are first applied for 2 hours, then the time is gradually increased to 10-12 hours. Popular: Mepiform, Mepiderm, Sicatris and Sutricon.

Treatment with cosmetic procedures

Cosmetic procedures are indicated when the scar has completely completed its formation and has its final appearance, that is, after 1 year. After examining him, the specialist selects the most suitable method for removing the vaccination scar, which leaves a scar on the shoulder. The following procedures apply:

Mechanical peeling – microdermabrasion,
Laser peeling,
Filler injections.

Mechanical peeling

The procedure involves removing the top layer of skin using tiny abrasive particles - diamond dust, aluminum oxide. A special device for microdermabrasion is used.

After exposure, the process of tissue restoration occurs. The method is suitable for hypertrophic scars, contraindicated for keloids and skin diseases.

Filler injections

The most common procedure for atrophic scars that look like a “well”. Fillers are injected under the epidermis - collagen, hyaluronic acid or a suspension of the patient’s own adipose tissue.

As a result, the scar is leveled to the level of the skin, and the depression disappears. The disadvantage of this method is that fillers dissolve quickly; injections must be repeated annually. Contraindications: allergies and immune disorders.

Laser peeling

The most universal method used for all types of scars, including keloids. The laser beam, acting on the scar, evaporates its tissue and stimulates the deeper layers of the skin, after which its active restoration occurs.

A new modification of the method - laser fractional photothermolysis is more gentle; it does not evaporate the entire scar, but only in multiple point areas, perforating it.

The result is a restructuring of the direction of collagen fibers, they become shorter and intertwined, as in healthy skin, plus a restoration process. Contraindications include pregnancy and lactation, neuropsychiatric disorders, and cancer.