Question

I am a breastfeeding mother and i want to know if it is safe to use Pneumococcal Vaccines? Is Pneumococcal Vaccines safe for nursing mother and child? Does Pneumococcal Vaccines extracts into breast milk? Does Pneumococcal Vaccines has any long term or short term side effects on infants? Can Pneumococcal Vaccines influence milk supply or can Pneumococcal Vaccines decrease milk supply in lactating mothers?

Answer by DrLact: About Pneumococcal Vaccines usage in lactation

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and several health professional organizations state that vaccines given to a nursing mother do not affect the safety of breastfeeding for mothers or infants and that breastfeeding is not a contraindication to pneumococcal vaccine. Immunization of the mother during the third trimester of pregnancy markedly increases the amount of pneumococcal antibodies in breastmilk.[1] Breastfed infants should be vaccinated according to the routine recommended schedules.[2][3][4]

Pneumococcal Vaccines Side Effects in Breastfeeding

Limited data indicate that breastfeeding can enhance the response of the infant to certain vaccine antigens.[2][4][5][6] Immunization of pregnant women with pneumococcal vaccine increased the specific secretory IgA content of milk and colostrum.[7][8][9][10][11][12] These antibodies in colostrum help inhibit epithelial adhesion of pneumococci to pharyngeal epithelial cells.[12] Some evidence of decreased pneumococcal disease has been found among breastfed infants of vaccinated mothers.[10] Infants breastfed for longer than 90 days have a better antibody response to some pneumococcal strains in the vaccine at 13 months of age than those breastfed less than 90 days.[13]
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