Is Chikungunya Vaccine safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what LactMed, the Drugs and Lactation Database published by the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), reports about Chikungunya Vaccine. The text below is quoted from that source — it is not our own verdict.
Summary of use during breastfeeding
Two forms of chikungunya vaccine are marketed. One is a recombinant vaccine (Vimkunya, Bavarian Nordic) and the other is a live, attenuated vaccine (Ixchiq, Valneva). No information is available on the clinical use of either chikungunya vaccine during breastfeeding, but recombinant vaccines are generally considered to be acceptable during breastfeeding. Wild-type chikungunya virus ribonucleic acid has been detected in breastmilk, but transmission through breastfeeding has not been reported. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend caution in administration of the live, attenuated vaccine to nursing mothers, but it is not contraindicated. Some countries contraindicate the use of the life, attenuated virus in nursing mothers.[1] If the mother requires a chikungunya vaccine, it is not a reason to discontinue breastfeeding, but the recombinant vaccine is preferred.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
“No published information” means the studies do not exist yet — not that Chikungunya Vaccine is known to be harmful, and not that it is known to be safe. Your prescriber or pharmacist can weigh your baby's age and whether a better-studied alternative would do the same job. Worth asking before stopping a medicine you need.
Source: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Chikungunya Vaccine” (chikungunya_vaccine). LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.