Breastfeeding would probably not impact, because the majority of the host
protection the baby gets from breastmilk is *mucosal* immunity.  That is,
the mucous membranes of his body are protected. There is more to it than
that, and breastfeeding does stimulate immunity in the baby.  However, all
those SIgA antibodies stay "outside the body" to protect the baby from
invasion by bugs. The MMR is given by injection, so the antigens in the
vaccine bypass the mucosal barriers and go directly into the blood.  The
reason for the delay in giving it is that the baby has residual antibodies
in his blood from his time in utero.  This is not the same thing as having
mucosal protection.

I hope I made myself obscure.

Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC

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