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Any information out there on the safety of flu vaccine for a 9mo breastfed baby? A mother is asking me for information on safety because her pediatrician "threatened her" and told her the baby may die if she does not do it. She is concerned about vaccine safety. Thoughts?
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Dear LopezMendoza,
Influenza virus vaccines come in two forms. One that is non-viable and requires injection, and the second, a live but attenuated vaccine for application in the nasal passages. The CDC and the FDA recommend that all breastfeeding women be immunized. This will further protect the breastfed infant as these antibodies will pass into milk, and help protect the breastfed infant from infection.
At this time, the injectable form of influenza vaccine is preferred for breastfeeding mothers. The use of FluMist in breastfeeding mothers is yet to be studied. Due to its heat lability, the FluMist virus is unlikely to ever survive the plasma compartment nor the milk compartment, but this has yet to be studied.
Tassneem Abdel Karim, MD
InfantRisk Center
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