Drug interactions
Melphalan + Typhoid vaccine live
Severity: Contraindicated
Melphalan and Typhoid vaccine live: 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
Oral live typhoid vaccine contains attenuated Salmonella Typhi, which can cause invasive infection in a patient immunosuppressed by melphalan. The vaccine response is also reduced.
What this interaction means in plain words
Melphalan and Typhoid vaccine live 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
Immunosuppression from melphalan impairs control of live attenuated bacteria and reduces the vaccine response.
What to do
Avoid the live oral vaccine during melphalan therapy and for at least 3 months afterward. Use the inactivated injectable typhoid vaccine if protection is needed.
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 Melphalan with Typhoid vaccine live?
MediHelp rates the interaction as contraindicated. Melphalan and Typhoid vaccine live 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. Oral live typhoid vaccine contains attenuated Salmonella Typhi, which can cause invasive infection in a patient immunosuppressed by melphalan. The vaccine response is also reduced.
How serious is the interaction between Melphalan and Typhoid vaccine live?
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 oral vaccine during melphalan therapy and for at least 3 months afterward. Use the inactivated injectable typhoid vaccine if protection is needed.
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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