Drug interactions
Hydrocortisone + Rabies vaccine
Severity: Moderate
Hydrocortisone and Rabies vaccine: 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
Rabies vaccine is non-live, so vaccine infection is not a concern. Corticosteroids may impair antibody response, which is important because rabies is almost always fatal once established.
What this interaction means in plain words
Hydrocortisone and Rabies vaccine 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 immunosuppression may reduce neutralizing antibody production.
What to do
Do not withhold post-exposure vaccination, and give immune globulin as indicated. Check rabies neutralizing antibody titres after vaccination in patients on immunosuppressive doses.
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?
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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 Rabies vaccine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as moderate. Hydrocortisone and Rabies vaccine 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. Rabies vaccine is non-live, so vaccine infection is not a concern. Corticosteroids may impair antibody response, which is important because rabies is almost always fatal once established.
How serious is the interaction between Hydrocortisone and Rabies vaccine?
MediHelp rates it moderate, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Do not withhold post-exposure vaccination, and give immune globulin as indicated. Check rabies neutralizing antibody titres after vaccination in patients on immunosuppressive doses.
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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