Interactions Checker

Dear Chris,

Vaccines are generally not given if they are live vaccines. This is the sort that are flagged up on the drug interaction site linked in your post.

I have just been given pneumovax ( active againse around 28 different pneumonia bacteria and recommended to me because I am post stem cell transplant) and checked with the nurse before it was given that it was not a live virus vaccine.

Most vaccines given are not live.... so the flu vaccine that is normally offered by your GP would not be in this catergory and would be OK for those with CML responding to TKI therapy.

See below for an explanation of the live vaccine- which is not recommended for immunosuppressed patients.

'imatinib and influenza virus vaccine, live, trivalent:

Interactions

interactions between:

* imatinib
* influenza virus vaccine, live trivalent

Interaction(s) found:

Major Drug-Drug Interaction imatinib and influenza virus vaccine, live, trivalent (Major Drug-Drug)

CONTRAINDICATED: The administration of live, attenuated virus or bacterial vaccines during immunosuppressant or intense antineoplastic therapy may be associated with a risk of disseminated infection due to enhanced replication of vaccine virus or bacteria in the presence of diminished immune competence.

Patients may be immunosuppressed if they have recently received or are receiving alkylating agents, antimetabolites, radiation, some antirheumatic agents, high dosages of corticosteroids or adrenocorticotropic agents, or long-term topical or inhaled corticosteroids.

(Sandy: these above named therapies (chemotherpy drugs - are not the same as TKI therapies as the majority of patients are NOT immunosuppressed when taking imatinib/dastatinib/nilotinib after the initial period)

These patients may also have increased adverse reactions and decreased or suboptimal immunologic response to vaccines.

MANAGEMENT: In general, live virus or bacterial vaccines should not be used in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy or cancer chemotherapy.

Vaccination should be deferred until after such therapy is discontinued for at least 3 months in most cases. In patients who have recently been vaccinated, such therapy should not be initiated for at least 2 weeks.'

I hope this clarifies the situation and does not deter people from vaccinations which might be recommended by their doctors.
There is a difference in risk from live and 'dead' vaccines.

Always ask your doctor to confirm that any vaccine you are offered is not live.

Thanks Chris for flagging this up,

Sandy