Drug interactions
Bcg vaccine live + Cefuroxime
Severity: Moderate
Bcg vaccine live and Cefuroxime: moderate interaction.
Last updated
For healthcare professionals — reference only. This page is a brief summary, not medical advice and not a substitute for official labeling or clinical judgement. Always verify before prescribing or dispensing.
Summary
Live BCG is a viable bacterium, and an active antibiotic may reduce its viability in the host. Cefuroxime has little expected activity against BCG, so the effect is largely theoretical.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bcg vaccine live and Cefuroxime can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Antibacterial activity could reduce replication of the live attenuated organism, though cephalosporin activity against BCG is limited.
What to do
Where timing is flexible, give BCG after the antibiotic course is complete. Do not delay urgent vaccination solely because of cefuroxime.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
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Other interactions of Cefuroxime
- Aluminum hydroxide + Cefuroxime Moderate
- Amikacin + Cefuroxime Moderate
- Calcium carbonate + Cefuroxime Moderate
- Calcium + Cefuroxime Moderate
- Cefuroxime + Cholera vaccine Moderate
- Cefuroxime + Cimetidine Moderate
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bcg vaccine live with Cefuroxime?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Bcg vaccine live and Cefuroxime can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Live BCG is a viable bacterium, and an active antibiotic may reduce its viability in the host. Cefuroxime has little expected activity against BCG, so the effect is largely theoretical.
How serious is the interaction between Bcg vaccine live and Cefuroxime?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Where timing is flexible, give BCG after the antibiotic course is complete. Do not delay urgent vaccination solely because of cefuroxime.
What other medicines interact with Cefuroxime?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Cefuroxime with, for example, Aluminum hydroxide, Amikacin, Calcium carbonate. The full list is on the Cefuroxime page.
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