Drug interactions
Hepatitis b vaccine + Prednisolone
Severity: Moderate
Hepatitis b vaccine and Prednisolone: moderate 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
Systemic corticosteroid therapy can blunt the antibody response to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, so protection may be lower or shorter-lived. The vaccine is not live, so there is no infection risk, and vaccination is not prohibited.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hepatitis b vaccine and Prednisolone can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken.
Why it happens
Corticosteroid-mediated suppression of lymphocyte function reduces the immune response to the vaccine antigen.
What to do
Give the vaccine ideally before starting immunosuppressive doses or when the dose is lowest, and do not delay it if urgent. Check anti-HBs titres after the series in patients on prolonged high-dose therapy and revaccinate if inadequate.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Should I take them at different times of day?
- Does the dose of either medicine need to change?
- Is there anything I should avoid, such as alcohol or certain foods, while on both?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Hepatitis b vaccine and Prednisolone, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 14 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Prednisolone
- Bcg vaccine live + Prednisolone Contraindicated
- 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
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Hepatitis b vaccine with Prednisolone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Hepatitis b vaccine and Prednisolone can affect each other. The combination is often manageable, but it may need a change of dose, a change of timing, or extra checks while both are taken. Systemic corticosteroid therapy can blunt the antibody response to recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, so protection may be lower or shorter-lived. The vaccine is not live, so there is no infection risk, and vaccination is not prohibited.
How serious is the interaction between Hepatitis b vaccine and Prednisolone?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Give the vaccine ideally before starting immunosuppressive doses or when the dose is lowest, and do not delay it if urgent. Check anti-HBs titres after the series in patients on prolonged high-dose therapy and revaccinate if inadequate.
What other medicines interact with Prednisolone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Prednisolone with, for example, Bcg vaccine live, Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live, Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live. The full list is on the Prednisolone page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
