False: It is unsafe for breastfeeding women to take COVID-19 vaccines.

By: Khagesh KG
January 27 2022

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The T-cells, antibodies in the milk of a nursing woman, kill the SARS-CoV-2 virus and protect the infant against the infection.A post on Instagram claims that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous for breastfeeding mothers and infants, adding that anyone who takes the jab would die in three to five years. This is baseless. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, as of January 24, 2022, more than 190,645 pregnant women have been vaccinated against COVID-19, with no safety concerns reported to date. Also, the CDC suggests that breastfeeding people who have received mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have antibodies in their breastmilk, which could help protect their babies from the illness. According to a study by National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), after the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was administered to 88 lactating women, no mother reported a change in milk production. On November 25, 2021, the U.K Health Security Agency (UKHSA) released a report urging pregnant women to get their jab as soon as possible. The data provides further evidence that vaccines are safe for them. Adding that vaccines have shown good birth outcomes in vaccinated women, the report stated that unvaccinated women had a higher risk of contracting the virus. Out of the total number of pregnant women hospitalized with symptomatic COVID-19, 98 percent were unvaccinated, adding that no fully vaccinated pregnant woman was admitted to intensive care with COVID-19 in England between February and the end of September 2021. According to NCBI, there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are harmful to a nursing mother or the infant. The report adds that after a breastfeeding woman receives the vaccine, the T-cells and antibodies appear in the milk, killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus and protecting the infant against the infection. Considering there is enough evidence proving that COVID-19 vaccines are beneficial for breastfeeding and pregnant women, the claim is false.