• Benefit of getting vaccines outweighs risks for pregnant women
• It is a myth that vaccination affects fertility of men and women

By Kelum Bandara

A leading WHO (World Health Organisation) expert said there is no risk at all for breastfeeding mothers to take COVID-19 vaccines to boost the immune system of them and their babies. 

WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, in her ‘Science in 5’ programme with Vismita Gupta-Smith said women who have given birth and are breastfeeding their babies can get vaccines.

“There is no risk at all. All the vaccines that are used presently have no live virus in them. There is no risk of transmission through breast milk. In fact, antibodies of mothers can go to children through breast milk,” she said.
However, she said pregnant women are at higher risk of getting severe COVID-19 and delivering babies prematurely, but vaccination outweighs such risks.