Are vaccines safe for pregnant, breastfeeding women? Yes. Here's what science says - ZimFact
Ngoni Mhuruyengwe
May 18, 2021
With Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 vaccination being rolled out, some breastfeeding mothers have asked whether it is safe to take the vaccine.
Yes, according to the experts.
Dr Agnes Mahomva, the Chief Coordinator for COVID-19 in Zimbabwe, says it is safe for lactating mothers to take the vaccine.
“Science tells us that vaccines that do no replicate in your cells do not pose any risk for lactating mothers and their infants. So, theoretically, breastfeeding mothers can therefore choose to get vaccinated,” Dr Mahomva says.
What do others say?
The World Health Organisation says: “WHO does not recommend discontinuation of breastfeeding after vaccination.”
WHO also recommends the vaccine for pregnant women.
America’s Centres for Disease Control (CDC), has the same advice for breastfeeding mothers and pregnant women.
The CDC says: “Based on how these vaccines work in the body, COVID-19 vaccines are thought not to be a risk to lactating people or their breastfeeding babies. Therefore, lactating people can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.”
Not only do vaccines not pose a risk, they also offer extra protection. This is according to a new study published in April.
The study, published in the peer-review Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), found that a COVID-19 vaccination creates extra secretion of antibodies in breast milk for up to 6 weeks after vaccination.
“Antibodies found in breast milk of these women showed strong neutralising effects, suggesting a potential protective effect against infection in the infant,” the researchers wrote.
According to the report, no mother or infant experienced any serious side effects during the study period.
Lancet, another leading medical journal, also says “there seems no plausible reason to recommend against vaccination for breastfeeding women. Antibodies generated in response to the vaccine should protect the breastfeeding women and the breastfed infants.”
South Africa’s Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) also recommends the vaccine for both pregnant and breastfeeding moms. South Africa uses the J&J vaccine, also a “non replicating” vaccine like the ones used in Zimbabwe.
Sahpra said on April 29: “The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for immunisation against COVID-19. It must be noted that the WHO does not recommend discontinuing breastfeeding after vaccination.”
Conclusion
Scientists, including Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 coordinator, recommend vaccines for breastfeeding women. A recent study, in fact, found that vaccines create protective antibodies in breastmilk. Scientists also recommend vaccines for pregnant women.
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