Vaccination is an important part of maternal and child health, and it's recommended that pregnant women get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Like pregnant women, breastfeeding women were excluded from COVID-19 vaccine trials, which means clinical safety data is still limited for this group. However, real-world evidence — and a growing body of research — suggests COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective for breastfeeding women and their children.
Preliminary research has found breastfeeding women generate the same antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines as people who are not lactating — meaning the vaccines are just as effective. Their response to the vaccine is not being impacted by the fact that they're breastfeeding
In Australia, the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is recommended for breastfeeding women, and women are advised that they do not need to stop breastfeeding before or after vaccination.