Septic Shoulder Joint After Pneumococcal Vaccination Requiring Surgical Debridement

Inflammatory complications after routine vaccination, including pain, local erythema, and bursitis, have been reported. Several cases of bursitis after vaccination, most commonly with the pneumococcal and influenza vaccines, have been reported in the literature [1–8]. Many of these cases have been attributed to poor technique of the administrator or an inflammatory reaction when the vaccine is deposited in the subdeltoid space [1, 3, 7]. Many of these reactions are self-limiting and demonstrate good relief with subacromial corticosteroid injection [1–4, 7]. We report a case of a patient who rapidly developed a septic shoulder joint after pneumococcal vaccination in her right deltoid. This required prompt surgical shoulder arthrotomy, irrigation, and debridement.