The Basics
What is Poliovirus Vaccines?
Vaccine used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio).
Brand names for Poliovirus Vaccines
Orimune
How Poliovirus Vaccines is classified
Vaccines
Poliovirus Vaccines During Pregnancy
Poliovirus Vaccines pregnancy category
Category CNote that the FDA has deprecated the use of pregnancy categories, so for some medications, this information isn’t available. We still think it’s useful to list historical info, however, given what a common proxy this has been in the past.
What we know about taking Poliovirus Vaccines while pregnant
Studies in humans have not been conducted. Problems in humans have not been reported, but routine administration of OPV during pregnancy is not recommended unless the benefits from vaccination outweigh the potential risks to the fetus. Poliovirus antibodies may be excreted into breast milk, and breast-feeding is not recommended for 2-3 hours before or after inoculation in neonates immunized at birth.
Taking Poliovirus Vaccines While Breastfeeding
What are recommendations for lactation if you're taking Poliovirus Vaccines?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics 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 poliovirus vaccine. The injectable polio vaccine now recommended in the United States is inactivated and poses no risk when given to mothers who are breastfeeding.[1][2] Breastfeeding also appears to reduce infant side effects associated with routine childhood immunization and can reduce the efficacy of oral polio vaccines.[3] However, some studies indicate that breastfeeding might improve infant response to oral polio vaccine.[4][5] Breastfed infants should be vaccinated according to the routine recommended schedules. Exclusive breastfeeding improves the response to oral polio vaccine in countries with poor infant nutrition and high rates of infant diarrhea.
Maternal / infant drug levels
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics 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 poliovirus vaccine. The injectable polio vaccine now recommended in the United States is inactivated and poses no risk when given to mothers who are breastfeeding.[1][2] Breastfeeding also appears to reduce infant side effects associated with routine childhood immunization and can reduce the efficacy of oral polio vaccines.[3] However, some studies indicate that breastfeeding might improve infant response to oral polio vaccine.[4][5] Breastfed infants should be vaccinated according to the routine recommended schedules. Exclusive breastfeeding improves the response to oral polio vaccine in countries with poor infant nutrition and high rates of infant diarrhea.
Possible effects of Poliovirus Vaccines on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Possible alternatives to Poliovirus Vaccines
None listed
List of References
Lactation sources: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); 2006-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/1. General recommendations on immunization — recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2011;60 (RR-2):1-64. PMID: 21293327
2. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, Kimberlin DW, Brady MT et al. Red Book: 2015 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 30th ed. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics. 2015.
3. Parker EP, Ramani S, Lopman BA et al. Causes of impaired oral vaccine efficacy in developing countries. Future Microbiol. 2018;13:97-118. PMID: 29218997
4. Haque R, Snider C, Liu Y et al. Oral polio vaccine response in breast fed infants with malnutrition and diarrhea. Vaccine. 2014;32:478-82. PMID: 24300591
5. Brickley EB , Wieland-Alter W, Connor RI et al. Intestinal immunity to poliovirus following sequential trivalent inactivated polio vaccine/bivalent oral polio vaccine and trivalent inactivated polio vaccine-only immunization schedules: Analysis of an open-label, randomized, controlled trial in Chilean infants. Clin Infect Dis. 2018;67 (Suppl 1):S42-S50. PMID: 30376086
6. Pisacane A, Continisio P, Palma O et al. Breastfeeding and risk for fever after immunization. Pediatrics. 2010;125:e1448-52. PMID: 20478932
7. Lopez-Alarcon M, Garza C, Habicht JP et al. Breastfeeding attenuates reductions in energy intake induced by a mild immunologic stimulus represented by DPTH immunization: possible roles of interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and leptin. J Nutr. 2002;132:1293-8. PMID: 12042449
8. World Health Organization Collaborative Study Group on Oral Poliovirus Vaccine. Factors affecting the immunogenicity of oral poliovirus vaccine: a prospective evaluation in Brazil and the Gambia. J Infect Dis. 1995;171:1097-106. PMID: 7751683
9. Plotkin SA, Katz M, Brown RE et al. Oral poliovirus vaccination in newborn African infants. Am J Dis Child. 1966;111:27-30. PMID: 5900282
10. Zaman S, Carlsson B, Jalil F et al. Specific antibodies to poliovirus type I in breastmilk of unvaccinated mothers before and seven years after start of community-wide vaccination of theirinfants with live, oral poliovirus vaccine. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1991;80:1174-82. PMID: 1785290
11. Triki H, Abdallah MV, Ben Aissa R et al. Influence of host related factors on the antibody response to trivalent oral polio vaccine in Tunisian infants. Vaccine. 1997;15:1123-9. PMID: 9269056
12. Kim-Farley R, Brink E, Orenstein W et al. Vaccination and breast-feeding. JAMA. 1982;248:2451-2. Letter. PMID: 7131700
13. John TJ, Devarajan LV, Luther L et al. Effect of breast-feeding on seroresponse of infants to oral poliovirus vaccination. Pediatrics. 1976;57:47-53. PMID: 174056
14. Hahn-Zoric M, Fulconis F, Minoli I et al. Antibody responses to parenteral and oral vaccines are impaired by conventional and low protein formulas as compared to breast-feeding. Acta Paediatr Scand. 1990;79:1137-42. PMID: 2085099
15. Sanz-Ramos M, Manno D, Kapambwe M et al. Reduced poliovirus vaccine neutralising-antibody titres in infants with maternal HIV-exposure. Vaccine. 2013;31:2042-9. PMID: 23474309
16. Church JA, Rukobo S, Govha M et al. Neonatal vitamin A supplementation and immune responses to oral polio vaccine in Zimbabwean infants. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2018. PMID: 30576507
Disclaimer: This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your healthcare provider with any questions.
