Drug interactions
Measles vaccine + Melphalan
Severity: Contraindicated
Measles vaccine and Melphalan: 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
Measles vaccine contains live attenuated virus, which can replicate without control in a patient immunosuppressed by melphalan. This can lead to disseminated vaccine-virus disease, and the vaccine response is also reduced.
What this interaction means in plain words
Measles vaccine and Melphalan 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
Chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression allows unchecked replication of live attenuated virus and impairs the vaccine response.
What to do
Avoid live vaccines during melphalan therapy and for at least 3 months after it ends, subject to immune recovery. Give live vaccines at least 4 weeks before starting chemotherapy when possible.
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 Melphalan
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Melphalan Contraindicated
- Bcg vaccine live + Melphalan Contraindicated
- Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal + Melphalan Contraindicated
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live + Melphalan Contraindicated
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine + Melphalan Contraindicated
- Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live + Melphalan Contraindicated
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Measles vaccine with Melphalan?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Measles vaccine and Melphalan 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. Measles vaccine contains live attenuated virus, which can replicate without control in a patient immunosuppressed by melphalan. This can lead to disseminated vaccine-virus disease, and the vaccine response is also reduced.
How serious is the interaction between Measles vaccine and Melphalan?
MediHelp rates it contraindicated, on a four-level scale (minor, moderate, major, contraindicated) based on published labels and references. What to do, in brief: Avoid live vaccines during melphalan therapy and for at least 3 months after it ends, subject to immune recovery. Give live vaccines at least 4 weeks before starting chemotherapy when possible.
What other medicines interact with Melphalan?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Melphalan with, for example, Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live, Bcg vaccine live, Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal. The full list is on the Melphalan page.
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