Study Finds No Sign Of Pfizer, Moderna Covid Vaccines In Breast Milk

Covid Vaccines In Breast Milk: According to a study, there is no evidence of the presence of vaccine nanoparticles or mRNA of the vaccines Pfizer and Moderna in breast milk.

The study researching the traces of COVID vaccines in breast milk has been published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The study also offers the first direct data on vaccine safety during breastfeeding. The evidence found by the study can further allay concerns among the people who have declined COVID vaccination or the mothers who have discontinued breastfeeding due to a concern that vaccination might alter breast milk as theoretically it could affect infant immunity.

No trace of mRNA vaccine found in breast milk; gene found that helps identify COVID-19 early https://t.co/oXHqwuMDmH pic.twitter.com/G4xSppy9AJ

— Reuters (@Reuters) July 20, 2021

The study was conducted by the researchers of the University of California, San Francisco (USCF) in the US. They analysed the breast milk of seven women after they received the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines. Their study did not find any traces in any of the seven women.

According to the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the risk of the vaccine being transferred to milk or vaccine nanoparticles or mRNA entering breast tissue is very little. Further, World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the breastfeeding people be vaccinated.

Yarden Golan, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral fellow at UCSF said, "We didn't detect the vaccine-associated mRNA in any of the milk samples tested."

Stephanie L Gaw, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor at UCSF said, "The results strengthen current recommendations that the mRNA vaccines are safe in lactation, and that lactating individuals who receive the COVID vaccine should not stop breastfeeding."

The researchers of the study collected several samples from lactating women multiple times before and after the vaccinations up to 48 hours. After testing these samples, the researchers found no evidence of detectable levels of vaccine mRNA in any component of the milk.

The authors added that the study was restricted to a small sample of women and added that further clinical data from larger populations were needed to better estimate the effect of the vaccines on lactation outcomes.