Drug interactions
Bcg vaccine live + Prednisolone
Severity: Contraindicated
Bcg vaccine live and Prednisolone: contraindicated 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
BCG is a live attenuated mycobacterium that can cause disseminated BCG disease in immunosuppressed patients, and prednisolone may also reduce the response. This is a risk of serious infection.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bcg vaccine live and Prednisolone are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two.
Why it happens
Corticosteroid-induced suppression of cell-mediated immunity permits uncontrolled replication of live BCG and reduces vaccine response.
What to do
Do not give BCG during immunosuppressive prednisolone therapy; defer until steroids have been stopped for an adequate interval, per local guidance. Assess alternative TB prevention strategies if indicated.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Is there an alternative to one of these two medicines for me?
- If both are essential, who is monitoring me and how often?
- Which symptoms mean I should stop and seek help straight away?
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Other interactions of Prednisolone
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live + Prednisolone Contraindicated
- Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live + Prednisolone Contraindicated
- Measles vaccine + Prednisolone Contraindicated
- Mifepristone + Prednisolone Contraindicated
- Prednisolone + Radium-223 dichloride Contraindicated
- Prednisolone + Rubella vaccine Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bcg vaccine live with Prednisolone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Bcg vaccine live and Prednisolone are not normally used together. Taking them at the same time is expected to cause harm or make one of them unsafe, so a different medicine is usually chosen for one of the two. BCG is a live attenuated mycobacterium that can cause disseminated BCG disease in immunosuppressed patients, and prednisolone may also reduce the response. This is a risk of serious infection.
How serious is the interaction between Bcg vaccine live and Prednisolone?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Do not give BCG during immunosuppressive prednisolone therapy; defer until steroids have been stopped for an adequate interval, per local guidance. Assess alternative TB prevention strategies if indicated.
What other medicines interact with Prednisolone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Prednisolone with, for example, Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live, Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live, Measles vaccine. The full list is on the Prednisolone page.
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