Erin McDonaugh learned she might need a longer COVID-19 vaccine needle size on Twitter.
She remembers the tweet saying something like, Did you knowfat peopleshould have a longer needle?
But she didnt realize the same rules applied to humans.
Oytun Kiricioglu / Getty Images
At the pharmacy, she asked the nurse administering her vaccine: Are you using a long enough needle?
The nurse confirmed that she planned to use a longer-than-standard needle.
She received her booster with a longer needle and went on her way.
According to public health experts, McDonaughs concerns about her boosters needle size were founded.
What is a standard length needle for COVID-19 vaccines?
We were basically never actually using those longer needles, Dr. Chhabria tells SELF.
She took it upon herself to learn more and initiate conversations with patients about longer needles.
Its notits just longer, an experience shes been able to confirm with her patients.
Why havent we heard more about this?
She said she saw the same thing happening during theCOVID-19 pandemic.
In reality,weight is not necessarily a risk factorfor severe illness from COVID-19.
Shouldnt it make headlines if a large group of people is being improperly vaccinated for COVID-19?
Experts and advocates say yes.
But Pause suggestedanti-fatness in medicinekeeps the needle-length issue out of our feeds.
What does improperly vaccinated mean, though?
The answer to this question is murky and telling.
As far as I can tell, no one has really bothered to find out, Pause said.
This didnt surprise her.
But if youre worried that your one-inch-needle COVID-19 vaccine was useless, dont panic.
The immune system will still find the antigen in the skin andcreate an immune response.
We dont have that evidence.
How do you know what size needle was used on you for past doses?
(In fact, it was one of Pauses tweets that first flagged the issue for McDonaugh.)
And because its not a standard practice to record needle length in a persons chart in every countryDr.
Tan says its not typically done in the U.S.there may be no way to find out.
This doesnt mean you should avoid mass vaccination sitesespecially if thats all thats available to you.
How can you bring up needle length at your next vaccine or booster appointment?
or Ive heard some people need longer needles.
Do you think I need one?
The possibility of awkwardness shouldnt stop you from initiating conversations that are important to you.
Thats why she recommends going the non-confrontational route and framing your request as a shared learning experience.
Ive learned recently that the standard needle length might not be appropriate for me, she suggests saying.
Youre the doctor, and youve maybe already learned this, but this was a surprise to me.
The burden shouldnt be on patients to advocate for quality health care.
People of all sizes deserve ethical and evidence-based health care, said the late Cat Pause.
