Drug interactions
Ocrelizumab + Yellow fever vaccine
Severity: Major
Ocrelizumab and Yellow fever 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
Yellow fever vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, and immunosuppression increases the risk of serious vaccine-associated disease. Ocrelizumab causes prolonged B-cell depletion and may also blunt the protective antibody response.
What this interaction means in plain words
Ocrelizumab and Yellow fever 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
Immunosuppression from B-cell depletion impairs control of replicating live vaccine virus and weakens the immune response.
What to do
Avoid yellow fever vaccine during ocrelizumab therapy and until B-cell repletion. Advise patients to avoid travel to endemic areas, or obtain a specialist-supported medical exemption when travel cannot be avoided.
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?
Pro+ members
Unlock the full page
Create an account and start a Pro+ trial to unlock the full management advice for Ocrelizumab and Yellow fever vaccine, the additional notes, the evidence detail and the whole-prescription interaction checker.
- Full clinical management advice
- Additional notes
- Evidence detail
- Interaction checker for a whole prescription
Try Pro+ free for 14 days on the web. No card needed.
Other interactions of Ocrelizumab
- Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live + Ocrelizumab Contraindicated
- Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal + Ocrelizumab Contraindicated
- Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live + Ocrelizumab Contraindicated
- Measles mumps rubella and varicella vaccine live + Ocrelizumab Contraindicated
- Measles vaccine + Ocrelizumab Contraindicated
- Anti-thymocyte + Ocrelizumab Major
Frequently asked questions
Can I take Ocrelizumab with Yellow fever vaccine?
MediHelp rates the interaction as major. Ocrelizumab and Yellow fever 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. Yellow fever vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, and immunosuppression increases the risk of serious vaccine-associated disease. Ocrelizumab causes prolonged B-cell depletion and may also blunt the protective antibody response.
How serious is the interaction between Ocrelizumab and Yellow fever 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 yellow fever vaccine during ocrelizumab therapy and until B-cell repletion. Advise patients to avoid travel to endemic areas, or obtain a specialist-supported medical exemption when travel cannot be avoided.
What other medicines interact with Ocrelizumab?
MediHelp also lists interactions of Ocrelizumab with, for example, Adenovirus types 4 and 7 live, Influenza virus vaccine quadrivalent intranasal, Measles mumps and rubella vaccine live. The full list is on the Ocrelizumab page.
Full monographs, dosing and an interaction checker in the MediHelp app
Open the complete reference, check multi-drug interactions and use dosing tools in the MediHelp app.
