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According The British Medical Journal, the Drug Safety Research Unit The UK has recommended that, if possible, imaging breast exams be performed before women receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine or four to six weeks later. This recommendation has been issued due to the potential risk of the appearance of postvaccinal lymphadenitis in the armpit corresponding to the arm where the vaccine was received, which would give rise to unnecessary concern.
This lymphadenitis is a known adverse effect of the Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna messenger RNA vaccines, with an estimated frequency of 11.6% for the first dose and 16% for the second. It usually lasts a few days, although the concern can be particularly important in those women with a personal or family history of breast cancer or who carry the BRCA gene. If the radiological examination occurred shortly after vaccination, lymphadenitis could generate false positive results with considerable emotional stress.
At the moment, this lymphadenopathy has not been evidenced for the AstraZeneca / Oxford Vaccine Group vaccine, although post-marketing phase IV studies are already underway.
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