Drug interactions
Hydrocortisone + Measles vaccine
Severity: Major
Hydrocortisone and Measles vaccine: major 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
Measles vaccine is live attenuated. In patients taking immunosuppressive doses of hydrocortisone, the vaccine virus may replicate excessively and cause disseminated disease, while the immune response may also be reduced.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hydrocortisone and Measles vaccine can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for.
Why it happens
Corticosteroid-induced immunosuppression impairs control of live attenuated virus and reduces immunogenicity.
What to do
Avoid giving the vaccine during high-dose or prolonged corticosteroid therapy, and generally defer until a suitable interval after stopping per local immunization guidance. Low-dose, short-course, topical or replacement therapy usually does not preclude vaccination.
What to ask your pharmacist
- Does the benefit of taking both outweigh the risk in my case?
- Do I need any blood test, ECG or other check while on both?
- What early warning signs should I watch for, and what should I do if they appear?
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Other interactions of Hydrocortisone
- Hydrocortisone + Mifepristone Contraindicated
- Hydrocortisone + Poliovirus vaccine live oral trivalent Contraindicated
- Hydrocortisone + Smallpox vaccine live Contraindicated
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Hydrocortisone Major
- Aldesleukin + Hydrocortisone Major
- Aspirin + Hydrocortisone Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Hydrocortisone with Measles vaccine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Hydrocortisone and Measles vaccine can interact in a way that may be serious. Using them together is sometimes necessary, but it needs a deliberate decision by the prescriber, a plan for monitoring, and clear advice on the warning signs to watch for. Measles vaccine is live attenuated. In patients taking immunosuppressive doses of hydrocortisone, the vaccine virus may replicate excessively and cause disseminated disease, while the immune response may also be reduced.
How serious is the interaction between Hydrocortisone and Measles vaccine?
MediHelp rates it major, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid giving the vaccine during high-dose or prolonged corticosteroid therapy, and generally defer until a suitable interval after stopping per local immunization guidance. Low-dose, short-course, topical or replacement therapy usually does not preclude vaccination.
What other medicines interact with Hydrocortisone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Hydrocortisone with, for example, Mifepristone, Poliovirus vaccine live oral trivalent, Smallpox vaccine live. The full list is on the Hydrocortisone page.
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