Mammograms and the Covid Vaccine

When they get together, the result can be misleading, doctors say.

If you’re headed in for a mammogram or thinking about booking one soon, be sure to tell your doctor if you’ve gotten any of the Covid vaccines.

That’s because swollen lymph nodes, which are a side effect of some vaccinations, including Covid, can raise your doctor’s suspicions about breast cancer.

Sanford Health physicians say a few people have already come in for mammograms with swollen lymph nodes after getting their Covid shots.

It’s a common side effect of getting vaccinations, including the annual flu shot.

The swollen lymph nodes in response to a vaccination are actually a sign that your immune system is responding, and they’re nothing to worry about.

However,  it’s also a rare warning sign of breast cancer.

Telling your doctor you’ve had the Covid vaccine means if they spot the swollen lymph nodes, found on the same side of your body you got the shot, they’ll know not to work you up for further tests.

Whatever you do, don’t skip your mammogram, the way they’ve seen some people do. And don’t put off your Covid vaccination.

Sanford Health’s Dr. Allison Clapp joined the Morning Show’s Emily Welker to talk about why people put off their mammograms so often last year, what happened to some of them when they did, and why preventative medicine like mammograms and the Covid vaccines can be literal lifesavers for you and the people you love.