If you are due for a mammogram and have recently been vaccinated for COVID-19, some health experts now recommend that women do not have a mammogram for 4-6 weeks after vaccination.
People who have received a COVID-19 vaccine can have swelling in the lymph nodes in the underarm near where they got the shot. Your lymph nodes are part of your body's germ-fighting immune system. The swelling in the lymph node is a sign that your body is responding to the vaccine and building up a defense against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Breast cancer can also cause swelling in the armpit if cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes.
For that reason, some health experts have recommended waiting 4-6 weeks after your final dose before having a mammogram. That way, any lymph node swelling caused by the vaccine has time to go away.
If you've received your vaccination and are due for your mammogram, be sure to tell your doctor about your vaccination and ask for guidance on when you should schedule your mammogram.
