[Serious shoulder injury after COVID-19 vaccination]

Since January 2021, over 24 million COVID-19 vaccines have been administered. Rarely vaccination in the deltoid muscle may lead to complications in the shoulder, called SIRVA (shoulder injury related to vaccine administration). General knowledge on SIRVA amongst doctors and other healthcare workers is lacking. However, due to the large amount of vaccinations which have been administered over the last year, SIRVA is seen more often.

In this report, two cases of SIRVA due to septic arthritis and a shoulder abscess after administration of a COVID-19 vaccination, are described.

SIRVA should be considered in case of shoulder complaints which persist longer than 48 hours after vaccination. Timely diagnosis and treatment by either the general practitioner or orthopaedic surgeon should be conducted to prevent long-term damage to the shoulder joint. Use of the correct vaccination technique is important to prevent the occurrence of SIRVA.