Why vaccines are got in the arm and injections are injected in “place under the back”?
In: Biology
Many vaccines need to be injected into a muscle. This type of shot is called intramuscular or IM. The arm is very often used because the deltoid muscle is easy to find and inject into. I assume place under the back means butt, which is called the dorsogluteal muscle. That is also a large muscle that is also easy to find but there is a large nerve that you can hit with the needle if you dont know what you’re doing so most providers will opt to use your arm. Other options for IM shots include your leg (vastus lateralis) and hip (ventrogluteal) but again because your deltoid is easier to find, they aren’t often used. Injection size is another factor to consider. Many vaccines are about 1ml or less so the small deltoid muscle can handle them. For larger injections (like getting a shot of antibiotics), you use a larger muscle like the butt.
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