COVID-19 mRNA vaccine-mediated antibodies in human breast milk and their association with breast milk microbiota composition

Abstract

Abstract Newborns can acquire immunological protection to SARS-CoV-2 through vaccine-conferred antibodies in human breast milk. However, there are some concerns around lactating mothers with regards to potential short- and long-term adverse events and vaccine-induced changes to their breast milk microbiome composition, which helps shape the early-life microbiome. Here, we recruited 49 lactating mothers from Hong Kong who received two doses of BNT162b2 vaccine between June 2021 and August 2021. Breast milk samples were self-collected by participating mothers pre-vaccination, one week post-first dose, one week post-second dose, and one month post-second dose. The levels of SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific IgA and IgG in breast milk peaked at one week post-second dose. Subsequently, the levels of both antibodies rapidly waned in breast milk, with IgA levels returning to baseline levels one month post-second dose. The richness and composition of human breast milk microbiota changed dynamically throughout the vaccination regimen, but the abundances of beneficial microbes such as Bifidobacterium species did not significantly change after vaccination. In addition, we found that baseline breast milk bacterial composition can predict spike-specific IgA levels at one week post-second dose (Area Under Curve: 0.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.58–0.85). Taken together, our results suggest that infants may acquire immunological protection from breast milk from SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated mothers by both the vertical transmission of antibodies and beneficial microbiota.