Breastfeeding: what should be checked before vaccination?

Are you breastfeeding and considering vaccination? Breastfeeding alone is not a general contraindication. The check concerns the particular vaccine and your situation, including any specific precautions that need to be considered.

After childbirth, some vaccinations can be updated if they were not carried out beforehand. This is an opportunity to review your records with your doctor or midwife.

For example, whooping cough vaccination may be recommended after childbirth if it was not given during pregnancy, including when breastfeeding. The professional checks how this applies to your history.

Specific precautions exist, particularly for yellow fever during the first months of breastfeeding. If you plan to travel, request specialist assessment. Do not change your breastfeeding on your own to make a vaccination possible.

Vaccinating a breastfeeding mother is not a reason to change the vaccination schedule already planned for her child. Keep the baby’s appointments and ask separately for explanations about the baby’s prevention needs and planned vaccinations.

Tell the professional that you are breastfeeding, the baby’s age and which vaccine is being considered before the procedure. Clarify the precautions; if vaccination is agreed, continue through the appropriate existing pathway.