Drug interactions
Measles vaccine + Prednisone
Severity: Contraindicated
Measles vaccine and Prednisone: 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 is live attenuated, and immunosuppressive doses of prednisone may allow uncontrolled vaccine virus replication and also reduce the immune response. Live vaccination is generally avoided during high-dose steroid therapy.
What this interaction means in plain words
Measles vaccine and Prednisone 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
Glucocorticoid immunosuppression impairs control of live attenuated virus replication and reduces vaccine response.
What to do
Avoid the live measles vaccine during immunosuppressive prednisone therapy and defer it until the steroid has been stopped for the interval in local guidance (typically at least a month). Low-dose or short-course steroids may be acceptable per guidance.
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 Prednisone
- Bcg vaccine live + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Mifepristone + Prednisone Contraindicated
- Prednisone + Radium-223 dichloride Contraindicated
- Prednisone + Smallpox vaccine live Contraindicated
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Prednisone Major
- Aldesleukin + Prednisone Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Measles vaccine with Prednisone?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Measles vaccine and Prednisone 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 is live attenuated, and immunosuppressive doses of prednisone may allow uncontrolled vaccine virus replication and also reduce the immune response. Live vaccination is generally avoided during high-dose steroid therapy.
How serious is the interaction between Measles vaccine and Prednisone?
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 the live measles vaccine during immunosuppressive prednisone therapy and defer it until the steroid has been stopped for the interval in local guidance (typically at least a month). Low-dose or short-course steroids may be acceptable per guidance.
What other medicines interact with Prednisone?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Prednisone with, for example, Bcg vaccine live, Mifepristone, Radium-223 dichloride. The full list is on the Prednisone page.
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