Drug interactions
Bcg vaccine live + Tocilizumab
Severity: Contraindicated
Bcg vaccine live and Tocilizumab: 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 bacterium that can cause disseminated BCG infection in immunosuppressed patients. Tocilizumab impairs host defence and may reduce the vaccine's effect.
What this interaction means in plain words
Bcg vaccine live and Tocilizumab 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
Pharmacodynamic: IL-6 blockade suppresses immune control of live attenuated mycobacteria.
What to do
Do not give BCG vaccine during tocilizumab therapy. Complete any needed live vaccination before starting treatment, following specialist-advised intervals.
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 Tocilizumab
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live + Tocilizumab Contraindicated
- Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live + Tocilizumab Contraindicated
- Measles vaccine + Tocilizumab Contraindicated
- Rubella vaccine + Tocilizumab Contraindicated
- Smallpox vaccine live + Tocilizumab Contraindicated
- Tocilizumab + Typhoid vaccine live Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Bcg vaccine live with Tocilizumab?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Bcg vaccine live and Tocilizumab 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 bacterium that can cause disseminated BCG infection in immunosuppressed patients. Tocilizumab impairs host defence and may reduce the vaccine's effect.
How serious is the interaction between Bcg vaccine live and Tocilizumab?
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 vaccine during tocilizumab therapy. Complete any needed live vaccination before starting treatment, following specialist-advised intervals.
What other medicines interact with Tocilizumab?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Tocilizumab with, for example, Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live, Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live, Measles vaccine. The full list is on the Tocilizumab page.
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