Vaccinated mother’s breastmilk provides Covid protection to children
The second of its kind, a US study has further demonstrated the positive effects that a vaccinated mother’s breastmilk can have towards protecting their infants who are too young to receive the injection.
The report, published in the Journal of Perinatology, follows on from a study that was published in 2021 which showed breast milk contained anti-bodies that help to combat covid.
Following this, experts have been examining infants stool samples and found traces of the same anti-bodies that fought against SARS-coV-2 – the virus that causes COVID-19.
Joseph Larkin III, Senior Author of the Study, said: ‘Our first study showed there were SARS-coV-2 antibodies in the breast milk, but we couldn’t say if those antibodies were getting through the babies’ gastrointestinal tract and possible providing protection there.’
However, after completing the second study, Professor Larkin concluded: ‘The antibodies run interference and don’t let the virus get to the cells.’
Commonly known as affecting the lungs, COVID-19 can also invade the gut, which is why finding antibodies there is particularly important.
Against the backdrop of this study, which was published yesterday, COVID-19 figures have sharply increased across the UK, with one in 16 people testing positive over the Christmas period.
UK Health Security Agency Experts (UKHSA) have declared they are particularly concerned about the new Omicron strain that is infecting thousands of people in the US. Known as the ‘Kraken’, the new variant could become a dominant strain in the UK, as UKHSA experts revealed it made up 4.5% of cases between boxing day and new year.
Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections at the UKHSA, said: ‘Through our genomic surveillance we continue to see evolution of variants in the Omicron family.
‘UKHSA is constantly monitoring the situation and working to understand the implications for public health.
‘Vaccination remains our best defence against future Covid waves, so it is still as important as ever that people come forward and take up all the doses for which they are eligible as soon as possible.’
NHS data has shown an average of 995 Covid patients were admitted to hospitals across England the week commencing 2nd January 2023. However, with the current pressures being placed on the NHS, the general publication should be taking as many precautions as possible to ensure hospital admissions remain as low as possible.
Photo by Lucy Wolski