Breastfeeding can continue after Covid-19 vaccination: expert

MANILA – A health expert on Thursday said lactating women can continue breastfeeding after being inoculated with any coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine.

“For example po ngayon, inuuna natin ang healthcare workers’ group. And this is one, naririnig namin from the field, it is not recommended to discontinue breastfeeding either after or even before vaccination,” said Dr. Maria Asuncion A. Silvestre, Health Professionals Alliance Against Covid-19 – Kalusugan ng Mag-Ina member, in an online media briefing.

Silvestre reported that the Philippine Pediatric Society on March 21 released an advisory stating all Covid-19 vaccines may be offered to breastfeeding women after consultation with their physician and not be advised to discontinue breastfeeding.

She also cited a study in the United States on the presence of antibodies of six mothers who received Covid-19 shots and continued to breastfeed.

“This is very preliminary. This is very early evidence that there could be a large potential benefit of a vaccinated person who breastfeeds passing on antibodies against COVID-19 virus to their own infant,” she said.

In the same forum, Silvestre shared the story of ‘Trizia’, a registered nutritionist-dietician who contacted her through Messenger to ask about breastfeeding after getting vaccinated against Covid-19.

“She [Trizia] contracted Covid-19 in 2020, she breastfed her baby throughout her Covid-19 illness, she did well, after her vaccination despite mild fever and muscle aches, they both did well and she was back to work after 48 hours,” she said.

Despite limited data on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines among breastfeeding women, Silvestre emphasized that the World Health Organization recommended vaccination for breastfeeding women if they are part of the priority group for inoculation.

As of March 23, the National Task Force Against Covid-19 reported that about 1,125 600 doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to the Priority Group A1 or front line healthcare workers in the country.