Vaccines/Fingolimod
This information is generalized and not intended as specific medical advice. Consult your healthcare professional before taking or discontinuing any drug or commencing any course of treatment.
Medical warning:
Serious. These medicines may interact and cause very harmful effects. Contact your healthcare professional (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) for more information.
How the interaction occurs:
Fingolimod decreases your immune system's response to vaccination.
What might happen:
Vaccinations may not work as well during and for two months after your fingolimod therapy. Live vaccines may make you sick if given during or within two months of your fingolimod therapy.
What you should do about this interaction:
Make sure your healthcare professionals (e.g. doctor or pharmacist) know that you are taking or if you have taken fingolimod within the previous two months. Your doctor may decide to postpone a vaccination with a live vaccine or use a different vaccine that is not live. Your doctor may want to perform a blood test a few weeks after your vaccination to determine if the vaccine worked.Your healthcare professionals may already be aware of this interaction and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop, or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.Reference:1.Gilenya (fingolimod) US prescribing information. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation May, 2012.
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