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Breast-feeding may interfere with rotavirus vaccine response
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New research has emerged that breast-feeding may interfere with an infant’s response to rotavirus vaccine, but the study researchers said more data are needed on the exact time frame when this interference takes place.
Judith Koch, MD, of the immunization unit at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, and colleagues reported on two postmarketing substudies that were conducted from 2010 to 2011 in Germany to assess rotavirus vaccine effectiveness and to identify risk factors associated with rotavirus breakthrough infections in fully vaccinated children.
The researchers said vaccine effectiveness for preventing rotavirus infection that required hospitalization or medical attention was 80% and 68%, respectively. However, breast-feeding and day care attendance were shown to be linked to breakthrough infections.
The researchers also said their data backed other published work on the potential interaction between breast-feeding and vaccines.
“Clearly, it would be wrong to conclude that mothers should refrain in general from breast-feeding, because the disadvantages of not being breast-fed would be much greater for an infant than having an increased risk of a rotavirus vaccine failure with subsequent mild symptoms,” the researchers wrote. “Still, more data on the interference between breast-feeding and rotavirus vaccination would be desirable, especially the exact time-relationship of both events that might lead to vaccine failures.”
Koch and colleagues said this research could provide more specific guidance for new mothers.
Disclosure: Koch reports no relevant financial disclosures. This study was financed by the Robert Koch Institute.
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