Scientists Say to Delay Breastfeeding to 'Improve' Vaccine Potency

[Imakcerka]

Scientists are now recommending that mothers delay vital breastfeeding in order to 'improve' the effects of vaccinations, stating that consuming breast milk could hamper the potency of vaccinations such as the rotavirus injection. 

http://www.www.sott.net/articles/show/240469-Scientists-Say-to-Delay-Breastfeeding-to-Improve-Vaccine-Potency?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Live oral rotavirus vaccines have been less immunogenic and efficacious among children in poor developing countries compared with middle income and industrialized countries for reasons that are not yet completely understood. We assessed whether the neutralizing activity of breast milk could lower the titer of vaccine virus and explain this difference in vitro.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20442687

[Imakcerka]

http://naturalsociety.com/un-bill-gates-foundation-push-deadly-hpv-shots-on-poor-nations-under-gavi-alliance/

[Katie8681]

Originally Posted by Imakcerka 

Scientists are now recommending that mothers delay vital breastfeeding in order to 'improve' the effects of vaccinations, stating that consuming breast milk could hamper the potency of vaccinations such as the rotavirus injection. 

http://www.www.sott.net/articles/show/240469-Scientists-Say-to-Delay-Breastfeeding-to-Improve-Vaccine-Potency?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Live oral rotavirus vaccines have been less immunogenic and efficacious among children in poor developing countries compared with middle income and industrialized countries for reasons that are not yet completely understood. We assessed whether the neutralizing activity of breast milk could lower the titer of vaccine virus and explain this difference in vitro.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20442687

Ok, I have access to the full article and and the soft.net piece either deliberately or accidentally misstates the article's conclusions.

"In conclusion, our findings indicate that the neutralizing activity of breast milk could be one of the many factors that might explain the lower observed immunogenicity and effectiveness of live oral rotavirus vaccines among children in developing countries. These data should encourage clinical trials to investigate whether delaying breast-feeding for a short period before and after giving the vaccine (emphasis added) could reasonably improve the immune response and protective efficacy. Since all live oral rotavirus vaccines are potentially susceptible to interference from breast milk neutralizing activity and other factors such as maternal antibody and other enteric flora, a parenteral vaccine with nonliving rotavirus (eg, inactivated vaccine) should be pursued as an alternative that will provide an insurance policy to the global immunization agenda against rotaviruses.26

The study authors are suggesting not breastfeeding for an unspecified, BRIEF period of time around the administration of the vaccine be investigated. That's all.

[Katie8681]

Also, rotavirus is given orally. It's not an injection.

[lovebeingamomma]

It's still stupid.  What if your baby is hungry in that "short period"?  And if you're going to inflict pain on your child the least you can do for them in breastfeed them while/immediately after a vaccine.  Rotavirus is always given with other injections if the baby is on schedule.

[Alenushka]

Well, rota-viral infections are deadly in third world countries because they lack $0.50 worth of re-dehydration solutions.

It is different in the  first world countries. My pedi actually said that we did not have to do rota virus vaccine if we did not feel like it because re-hydrating a baby in US is matter of arriving to ER if needed.

Delaying nursing by y 10-15-30 mins to protect a child from rota virus and death in a third world country  does not seem like such high price to pay to avoid infant's death.

Originally Posted by lovebeingamomma 

It's still stupid.  What if your baby is hungry in that "short period"?  And if you're going to inflict pain on your child the least you can do for them in breastfeed them while/immediately after a vaccine.

[Katie8681]

No, it's not stupid. Diarrhea is a leading cause of infant and child death in developing countries. It would be stupidly shortsighted to be unwilling to let a baby cry a little extra for a couple of hours in exchange for better response to a vaccine that could save that baby's life. If you didn't notice, the researchers also encourage an inactivated vaccine to be developed to avoid this issue altogether.

ETA- basically, ditto, Alenushka.

[lovebeingamomma]

I'm only suggesting that breastmilk, that has been proven to prevent many diseases, isn't the culprit for making a vaccine less effective.  Just my opinion, as it states, the "reasons are not yet completely understood".  Until it's proven I stand by opinion.  And I'm all for saving babies lives obviously, I just have a hard time believing this one...although if it's proven, I'm all ears.  I'm not anti-vaccine.  

Hmmm upon reading more into this I find this all very interesting...I will follow this story post any updates if found.  What I find sad is how countries (especially the US) are focusing so little on trying to improve breastfeeding rates but focus so much on vaccines.  SO much guilt put on mom's who don't vaccinate, but zero guilt on mom's who choose not to breastfeed when they can.  Another topic for another time perhaps :)

Edited by lovebeingamomma - 1/21/12 at 7:52pm

[Imakcerka]

I'm still looking into the "brief period"  how long is it?  And why are they finding the vaccines not being effective.  None of the findings are adequate to me.  I posted it on here hoping others would have a point of view due to knowledge over the issue.  So keep it coming.  If anyone can find something I'm missing link it please.

[Imakcerka]

http://www.breastfeeding.com/advocacy/advocacy_doctors_get_commissions.html

Interesting since it was brought up in numerous articles concerning delayed breastfeeding.  Where else are they going to get milk for their babies.  I'm trying to find out if the milk is liquid formula or powdered.  Powdered mixed with local water could be the culprit in the increase of disease to begin with.  

[Imakcerka]

No I have found that it states this is numerous articles.  I have yet to find the time period.  However they tested babies from 4 weeks on.  I have found a few articles that speak about Pakistan Dr's pushing formula.  And yet I can't find anything more.  I'm seriously losing my eyesight searching this junk.
 

Originally Posted by Katie8681 

Ok, I have access to the full article and and the soft.net piece either deliberately or accidentally misstates the article's conclusions.

"In conclusion, our findings indicate that the neutralizing activity of breast milk could be one of the many factors that might explain the lower observed immunogenicity and effectiveness of live oral rotavirus vaccines among children in developing countries. These data should encourage clinical trials to investigate whether delaying breast-feeding for a short period before and after giving the vaccine (emphasis added) could reasonably improve the immune response and protective efficacy. Since all live oral rotavirus vaccines are potentially susceptible to interference from breast milk neutralizing activity and other factors such as maternal antibody and other enteric flora, a parenteral vaccine with nonliving rotavirus (eg, inactivated vaccine) should be pursued as an alternative that will provide an insurance policy to the global immunization agenda against rotaviruses.26

The study authors are suggesting not breastfeeding for an unspecified, BRIEF period of time around the administration of the vaccine be investigated. That's all.

[Taximom5]

But breastfed babies are far less likely to GET rotavirus in the first place, which is spread via contaminated feces.  And the best way to rehydrate an infant is with breast milk. 

I fear this is simply a marketing ploy of the pharmaceutical/formula industry.  Formula has no place in third-world countries anyway, where it is likely to be mixed with tainted water (likely the primary source of rotavirus in the first place) and improperly watered down to last longer.

[Imakcerka]

I took some pieces out of the article, it's a very lengthy article!  There were three factors and I only pasted two as the third was much longer.  Read it if you have time.  I'm beginning to think this is one of those findings that hasn't been researched enough and possibly should not have made it out to the public.  They do not have real answers.  Only possibilities. 

http://demystifyingmedicine.od.nih.gov/DM10/0406-DiarrhealDiseases/Oral%20Rotavirus%20Vaccines%20%20How%20Well%20They%20Work%20When%20They%20are%20Needed.pdf

Data from early studies of vaccine

failures completed 3–5 years ago in Bangladesh and South Africa

could establish whether high titers of transplacental antibody

in the infant could neutralize vaccine virus in the gut and

inhibit a robust immune response. Unfortunately, to date, these

results have neither been released by the company nor published

by the investigators [39–43].

 

No differences

in vaccine efficacy were noted between mothers who self-reported

breastfeeding, compared with those who did not.

 

However,

these studies did not examine a key parameter critical to

determining whether breastfeeding might make an impact: the

specific interval between breastfeeding and the administration

of vaccine [3, 4]. If the vaccine was administered at a time

when the infant had not recently been feeding, the vaccine strain

could pass unimpeded to the gut and begin replicating. However,

if the infant was being breast fed at the time of vaccination,

its mouth and gastrointestinal tract could become in vivo sites

for virus neutralization and the vaccine might be expected to

have a diminished effect. Other factors in breast milk might

either buffer the virus from stomach acid and enhance its effect

[49] or entrap virus and prevent it from attachment. No studies

have been conducted to date to determine whether the interval

between breastfeeding and vaccination has any effect on the

immune response to the vaccine

Stomach acid. Rotavirus can be damaged by low pH in the

stomach, and each of the vaccines is administered with a buffer

solution to neutralize stomach acid and maintain the titer of

the virus [52]. The quantity of stomach acid in infants in developing

countries has not been measured; thus, it is unclear

whether a difference in levels of gastric acidity might influence

vaccine uptake.

[Imakcerka]

Big pharma needs to corner the 3rd world country Market.  I've found quite a few articles that state a new push for formula in third world countries.  However the evidence appears to be hearsay.  I haven't found anything conclusive.   
 

Originally Posted by Taximom5 

But breastfed babies are far less likely to GET rotavirus in the first place, which is spread via contaminated feces.  And the best way to rehydrate an infant is with breast milk. 

I fear this is simply a marketing ploy of the pharmaceutical/formula industry.  Formula has no place in third-world countries anyway, where it is likely to be mixed with tainted water (likely the primary source of rotavirus in the first place) and improperly watered down to last longer.

[ma2two]

Originally Posted by Alenushka 

Delaying nursing by y 10-15-30 mins to protect a child from rota virus and death in a third world country  does not seem like such high price to pay to avoid infant's death.

Where did you get the 10-30 minutes from?

[Imakcerka]

Brief meant 10-30 minutes to her.  However the last article I posted stated...

Maybe she founds something I didn't

No studies

have been conducted to date to determine whether the interval

between breastfeeding and vaccination has any effect on the

immune response to the vaccine

[Katie8681]

"None of the findings are adequate to me."

It's _research_, not a clinical guideline. It's a scholarly paper investigating one hypothesis of why the rotavirus vaccine has better rates of efficacy in developed countries, and it made no sweeping recommendations, just suggestions for direction of future research. It was published and was then seized upon by anti-vacc website writers who don't understand and maybe don't want to understand the science involved, because they're obsessed with conspiracy theories.

From the second article you posted (which is an awesome and fascinating read about this issue that I'd never heard about- tx for posting):

"The exact time of transit of a rotavirus strain from the mouth to the intestine is not precisely known. Gastric emptying times estimated using the Carbon 13 octanoic breath test arrived at a half-time of 47 min [68]; however, these estimates might not be the same for infants in developing countries. Because infants aged 6–24 weeks feed every 120–180 min [69], a delay of 60 min before or after vaccination would allow assessment of the inhibitory effect that concomitant breastfeeding and vaccination might have on immunogenicity. It could also improve the depressed immune response to the vaccine found in Thai infants that was previously reported [45]. Other interventions could be targeted to assess improvements in host response that might be achieved by administering zinc, vitamin A, or a probiotic, such as Lactobacillus GG, at the time of vaccination."

So they are suggesting a sixty minute feed delay. Reading entire articles before passing judgment is good.

[emmy526]

Heres a good idea:  why not do a study of only USA infants, rather than including/comparing to a  3rd world country, who's living conditions dont even come close to ours? Wouldn't they get a better outcome of their findings on this issue since we dont have dirty water and we have enough nutritious food?   

[Imakcerka]

I read the entire article.  In fact I read them all.  
 

Originally Posted by Katie8681 

"None of the findings are adequate to me."

It's _research_, not a clinical guideline. It's a scholarly paper investigating one hypothesis of why the rotavirus vaccine has better rates of efficacy in developed countries, and it made no sweeping recommendations, just suggestions for direction of future research. It was published and was then seized upon by anti-vacc website writers who don't understand and maybe don't want to understand the science involved, because they're obsessed with conspiracy theories.

From the second article you posted (which is an awesome and fascinating read about this issue that I'd never heard about- tx for posting):

"The exact time of transit of a rotavirus strain from the mouth to the intestine is not precisely known. Gastric emptying times estimated using the Carbon 13 octanoic breath test arrived at a half-time of 47 min [68]; however, these estimates might not be the same for infants in developing countries. Because infants aged 6–24 weeks feed every 120–180 min [69], a delay of 60 min before or after vaccination would allow assessment of the inhibitory effect that concomitant breastfeeding and vaccination might have on immunogenicity. It could also improve the depressed immune response to the vaccine found in Thai infants that was previously reported [45]. Other interventions could be targeted to assess improvements in host response that might be achieved by administering zinc, vitamin A, or a probiotic, such as Lactobacillus GG, at the time of vaccination."

So they are suggesting a sixty minute feed delay. Reading entire articles before passing judgment is good.

[Katie8681]

"Heres a good idea:  why not do a study of only USA infants, rather than including/comparing to a  3rd world country, who's living conditions dont even come close to ours?" 

Because the issue they're looking at is how to improve the vaccine efficacy in infants in 3rd world countries.