Is the flu shot safe while breastfeeding?

What does the evidence say about flu shot while breastfeeding?

1. Breastfeeding is not a contraindication to either the live attenuated inhaled influenza vaccine or the inactivated injected one, per the CDC and several health professional organizations. 1
2. Immunization during pregnancy increases the amount of influenza antibodies and influenza-specific CD8 T cells in breastmilk, and both vaccine types induced influenza-specific IgA that persisted in milk for at least 6 months. 1
3. Major medical groups state that women who are breastfeeding can receive the flu shot or the nasal spray influenza vaccine. 2
4. If you do catch the flu anyway, the CDC encourages women to continue to breastfeed, with handwashing before holding your baby, no coughing or sneezing on them, and a mask worth considering. 3
5. Most live and inactivated vaccines routinely given in the United States and Canada are not harmful during breastfeeding, with smallpox and yellow fever the named exceptions. 4

How flu shot changes by nursing stage

• Early weeks. In the newborn weeks this is the highest-value window, because an infant cannot receive their own flu vaccine until 6 months of age. Your vaccination is one of the few protections available to them.
• Established nursing. As feeding settles into a rhythm, the ordinary soreness or tiredness after a shot is the main thing to plan around. Neither vaccine type has been described as affecting lactation.
• Weaning. With an older baby, timing usually follows the season rather than the feeding schedule. If your baby has passed 6 months, ask about their own flu vaccine at the same visit.