So can other vaccines like HPV and influenza vaccines. The COVID vaccine can cause swollen neck lymph nodes. Can the COVID vaccine cause swollen lymph nodes? Lymph-node swelling starts within a few days of coming down with the COVID virus and can take several weeks to go away. But you may not be able to feel them because other lymph nodes aren’t as close to the skin. You can get swollen lymph nodes in other parts of the body, too. Since many people experience COVID sore throat and upper respiratory tract infections, the lymph nodes in the neck and in front of the ear are the first to respond to the virus. This makes lymph nodes swell and feel tender. When lymph nodes detect a virus or bacteria, they start pumping out white blood cells to fight off infection. Lymph nodes are checkpoints for infection. Usually, lymph nodes are small - about the size of a pea. You can feel lymph nodes that are closer to the skin, like in the armpit, groin, and neck. There are hundreds of lymph nodes throughout the body. This isn’t one of the most common symptoms of COVID, but it can happen even if you only have mild COVID symptoms. Can COVID cause swollen lymph nodes?ĬOVID illness can lead to lymph-node swelling, especially swollen neck lymph nodes. Here’s what you should know about how COVID can lead to swollen lymph nodes. You may be wondering what’s going on and if it’s cause for concern.

If you’ve recently come down with COVID-19, you may notice that your neck glands feel swollen or tender.

Swollen lymph nodes on back of neck