Drug interactions
Deflazacort + Zoster vaccine live
Severity: Contraindicated
Deflazacort and Zoster vaccine live: 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
Live zoster vaccine given during immunosuppressive deflazacort therapy may cause disseminated vaccine-strain varicella-zoster infection and a diminished immune response.
What this interaction means in plain words
Deflazacort and Zoster vaccine live 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 allows unchecked replication of live attenuated virus and impairs vaccine response.
What to do
Do not give live zoster vaccine to patients on immunosuppressive corticosteroid doses; use the recombinant non-live zoster vaccine instead where 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 Deflazacort
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Deflazacort Contraindicated
- Bcg vaccine live + Deflazacort Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Measles mumps and rubella vaccine Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live Contraindicated
- Deflazacort + Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Deflazacort with Zoster vaccine live?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Deflazacort and Zoster vaccine live 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. Live zoster vaccine given during immunosuppressive deflazacort therapy may cause disseminated vaccine-strain varicella-zoster infection and a diminished immune response.
How serious is the interaction between Deflazacort and Zoster vaccine live?
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 live zoster vaccine to patients on immunosuppressive corticosteroid doses; use the recombinant non-live zoster vaccine instead where indicated.
What other medicines interact with Deflazacort?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Deflazacort with, for example, Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live, Bcg vaccine live, Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal. The full list is on the Deflazacort page.
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