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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.

Evidence level: High

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?

Bring a full list of your medicines, including over-the-counter products, supplements and herbal remedies, to every pharmacy visit.

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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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