Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Varicella Vaccine

Review
In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006.
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Excerpt

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 measles, mumps, rubella and varicella virus vaccine. Breastfed infants should be vaccinated according to the routine recommended schedules. Although rubella vaccine virus might be excreted into milk, the virus usually does not infect the infant. If an infection does occur, it is well tolerated because the viruses are attenuated.[1-3] No clear evidence exists of live attenuated measles or mumps vaccine virus excretion into breastmilk.[4] Lack of exclusive breast feeding until 5 months of age is a risk factor for an infant’s poor response to measles vaccination.[5]

Publication types

  • Review