Aspiration in Intramuscular Injections

Guideline Recommendations

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stopped recommending routine aspiration for intramuscular injections in their immunization guidelines prior to 2011, stating that "aspiration before injection of vaccines or toxoids is not required because no large blood vessels exist at the recommended injection sites" 1
• The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices formally stated in their "General recommendations on immunization" that aspiration is not required for vaccines or toxoids at recommended injection sites 1, 2, 3
• Aspiration is unnecessary when administering vaccines at standard sites (deltoid, vastus lateralis, ventrogluteal) 1
• Using proper injection technique with appropriate needle length and angle makes aspiration unnecessary 4
• Injecting into sites anatomically distant from major vessels makes aspiration unnecessary 1