# Flu shot not given deep enough- still protects? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 1, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flu-shot-not-given-deep-enough-still-protects/703275 "2014-11-01T16:29:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flu-shot-not-given-deep-enough-still-protects/703275/1 "2014-11-01T16:29:59Z")
A few days ago, I got a flu shot. Within a few hours, the area turned red, hot, itchy, swollen, and painful. Now it’s still like that a little bit, but the redness is now bruising. Then I asked a dermatologist about it, and he said that the MA didn’t go deep enough, and so the fluid sat under the skin, causing that reaction. I forgot to ask him, am I still protected? I would think that it would still be absorbed and I would be, but I have been known to be wrong. Once, in 1977. ?? ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flu-shot-not-given-deep-enough-still-protects/703275/2 "2014-11-01T20:23:10Z")
Are you sure it wasn’t one of the intradermal flu shots? Apparently my doctors got some of those this year because they were having trouble getting hold of the IM ones, and near as I can tell they have pretty much the exact set of side effects you describe. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flu-shot-not-given-deep-enough-still-protects/703275/3 "2014-11-01T20:29:14Z")
Oooh, maybe… The needle was very small, like an intradermal needle, which I thought was weird. I’ll have to call Monday and ask. Thanks!