Short term Outcomes of COVID-19 Vaccines Among Lactating Mother and Child Dyads in Bangladesh: A Multi-centre, Cross-sectional Study

• Published in: Maternal and child health journal 2024-06, Vol.28 (6), p.1080-1085
• Main Authors: Low, Jia Ming, Afroze, Sharmin, Al Mamun, Mohammod Abdullah, Afroze, Sadia, Tisha, Sabrina, Hossain, Md. Arif, Mannan, Md. Abdul, Dey, Sanjoy Kumer, Amin, Zubair, Shahidullah, Mohammod
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anaphylaxis; Bangladesh; Breast feeding; Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data; Breastfeeding & lactation; Children & youth; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 vaccines; COVID-19 Vaccines - administration & dosage; COVID-19 Vaccines - adverse effects; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Gynecology; Humans; Infant; Lactation; Male; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Milk, Human - immunology; Mothers - psychology; Mothers - statistics & numerical data; Pediatrics; Population Economics; Public Health; SARS-CoV-2; Sociology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vaccines; Women
• ISSN: 1092-7875; 1573-6628
• DOI: 10.1007/s10995-023-03881-4

Introduction The aims of the study are to: (1) determine the short-term reactogenicity of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines (i.e., Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Sinovac, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Covaxin) amongst lactating women and their children, and 2) evaluate lactation-related outcomes following the same vaccines in Bangladesh. Methods This was a multi-centre, self-reported, cross-sectional study of lactating woman-child dyads in Bangladesh. Demographics, past medical history, breastfeeding history and clinical outcomes of lactating woman–child dyads at least 7 days after the last dose of vaccine were determined through a structured questionnaire. Results There were 750 participants from four centres. The mean age of lactating women and children surveyed were 27.6 (SD ± 4.6) years and 10.3 (SD ± 6.7) months, respectively. Majority (81.2%; 608 of 750) received 2 doses of COVID-19 vaccinations while lactating. Almost all (99.9%; 749 of 750) vaccinated lactating women surveyed reported no change in human milk supply. More than half of the participants (56.9%; 373 of 656) reported no symptoms after both doses of COVID-19 vaccines. There were no serious adverse events such as anaphylaxis or hospital admission. Majority of the lactating women (98.9%; 742 of 750) reported that the children whom they breastfed had no symptoms such as fever or cough. Discussion This large study of lactating woman-child dyads in Bangladesh, who received a diverse range of WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines, showed no serious short-term adverse effects. Significance What is Already Known on this Subject? mRNA COVID-19 vaccination is safe for lactating woman and child dyads in the short term. What this Study adds? This is the largest known South Asian study on WHO-approved COVID-19 vaccines (both mRNA and non-mRNA) which showed that these vaccines are safe for lactating women and child dyads in the short-term.