Serotype-specific pneumococcal antibodies in breast milk of Gambian women immunized with a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND:: In breast-feeding populations, immunization during pregnancy with pneumococcal polysaccharide offers a potentially useful approach to preventing pneumococcal disease in young infants. METHODS:: Breast milk samples were collected at 0, 2, 4 and 6 months after delivery from Gambian women vaccinated during pregnancy (24-32 weeks gestation) with Pneumovax II (n = 56) or Mengivax AC P avidities specific to all pneumococcal polysaccharide antigens studied during 6 months. CONCLUSIONS:: The public health value of immunization during pregnancy with pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in breast-feeding populations warrants further evaluation, particularly in populations with a high incidence of pneumococcal disease in early infancy.