Drug interactions
Bcg vaccine live + Prednisone
Severity: Contraindicated
Bcg vaccine live and Prednisone: 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 vaccine, and immunosuppressive doses of prednisone may allow disseminated BCG infection and reduce the immune response. Vaccination is generally avoided during high-dose corticosteroid therapy.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bcg vaccine live and Prednisone 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
Glucocorticoid immunosuppression impairs control of live attenuated organism replication and reduces vaccine response.
What to do
Avoid live BCG during immunosuppressive prednisone therapy and delay vaccination until the drug has been stopped for the interval stated in local guidance (typically at least a month). Low-dose or short-course steroids may be acceptable per guidance.
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 Prednisone
- Measles vaccine + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Mifepristone + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Prednisone + Radium-223 dichloride Contraindicated
- Prednisone + Smallpox vaccine live Contraindicated
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Prednisone Major
- Aldesleukin + Prednisone Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bcg vaccine live with Prednisone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Bcg vaccine live and Prednisone 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 vaccine, and immunosuppressive doses of prednisone may allow disseminated BCG infection and reduce the immune response. Vaccination is generally avoided during high-dose corticosteroid therapy.
How serious is the interaction between Bcg vaccine live and Prednisone?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid live BCG during immunosuppressive prednisone therapy and delay vaccination until the drug has been stopped for the interval stated in local guidance (typically at least a month). Low-dose or short-course steroids may be acceptable per guidance.
What other medicines interact with Prednisone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Prednisone with, for example, Measles vaccine, Mifepristone, Radium-223 dichloride. The full list is on the Prednisone page.
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