Why can't a flu shot be given sub q?

Answer 1

Most of the flu vaccines for injection are designed to be given in the muscle tissue. If your injection was given with the wrong length needle and it ended up in the subcutaneous tissue instead of the muscle, it may still provide some immunity. Check with the clinician who gave you the shot, or with your doctor or pharmacist to find out if you will need another vaccination to be fully protected.

There is a new form of flu vaccine that is made to be injected intradermally (within the layers of the skin). It comes with its own micro-injection system that should assure the injection is in the correct tissue. This would be a type that would likely work better than the IM formulation if given subcutaneously, but the vaccines are not intended to be given by that route.

Answer 2

No, it is an intramuscular (IM) injection, usually given in the upper arm (Deltoid muscle) in adults and the thigh in young children and babies. Babies can not receive vaccinations for the flu until they are 6 months old. There is no upper age limit for use of IM flu vaccines in the vaccines approved in the US for the 2011-2012 flu season.

Another vaccine with a new injection route has been developed and is approved for use in the US, it is called Intradermal (ID) and is injected with its own syringe in between the layers of the skin. This type is also especially good for needle averse individuals since the needle on the syringe is very short and small. Intradermal vaccinations are approved by the FDA in the US for those aged 18 through 64. (See also more information in the related question below.)

And there is also a vaccine to be administered as a nasal mist for healthy patients age 2 to 49, in the US.

Answer 3

There is a vaccine for the flu that was recently developed and is available for use in the US in the 2011-2012 flu season that is administered intradermally with a special microinjection system. This vaccine was specifically developed for that route of administration which is very similar to a sub q (subcutaneous) injection. Subcutaneous refers to the tissue beneath the skin and above the muscle.

Each formulation of a vaccine is made for a specific route of administration and until recently there were only intramuscular and intranasal vaccines for the flu. Now there is the new intradermal formulation. It could be that a sub q vaccine will also be developed some day. There is no reason not to use that route, it is just that the current formulations are not developed for sub q use.

Answer 4

It may give you symptoms of irritation at the site of the injection and be more sore. It may give an incomplete immunization. It will likely not do long term harm, but, in the US, you should contact the management at the place where you received the injection incorrectly so that they are aware that this has happened and ask them to file an "Adverse Event" report with VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). You can also file a report yourself at VAERS, see the related link to the VAERS site in the related links section below.

Just to be sure it was incorrectly administered, there is a new vaccine for the 2011-2012 flu season approved for use in the US that is given intradermally (in the layers of the skin). That vaccine is specially formulated to be given differently than the vaccines for IM (intramuscular) injection. There is no approved subcutaneous formulation approved in the US. Find out which vaccine you were given and confirm that it was administered by the incorrect route.

Answer 5

The flu shot is intramuscular (IM). Do not allow anyone to give it to you subcutaneously (under the skin) or intravenously (directly into a vein).