In the rare case an injury does occur, most happen near the injection site. Andy Newell Andy Newell points to his left shoulder, where a flu shot injection injured him in 2019 “There was definitely a sharp pain. I lost mobility and motion in my shoulder,” Andy Newell, who was injured during a flu shot, said. An injection into his rotator cuff caused Newell’s injury. He said he missed work, endured more than 30 physical therapy appointments and spent more than $5,000 in out-of-pocket medical expenses. “For people who are in the unfortunate situation like I am, there needs to be some kind of protection,” Newell said.