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Before Using
In deciding to use a vaccine, the risks of taking the vaccine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this vaccine, the following should be considered:
Allergies
Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.
Pediatric
Varivax® (for preventing chickenpox)—Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of varicella virus vaccine in children above 1 year of age. However, varicella virus vaccine is not recommended for infants younger than 12 months of age.
Zostavax® (for preventing shingles)—This vaccine should not be used in children.
Geriatric
Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of varicella virus vaccine in the elderly.
Pregnancy
| Pregnancy Category | Explanation | |
|---|---|---|
| All Trimesters | C | Animal studies have shown an adverse effect and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women OR no animal studies have been conducted and there are no adequate studies in pregnant women. |
Breastfeeding
Studies in women suggest that this medication poses minimal risk to the infant when used during breastfeeding.
Drug Interactions
Receiving this vaccine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Aclarubicin
- Acyclovir
- Adalimumab
- Aldesleukin
- Alemtuzumab
- Altretamine
- Amonafide
- Amsacrine
- Asparaginase
- Aspirin
- Azacitidine
- Azathioprine
- Benorilate
- Bleomycin
- Broxuridine
- Busulfan
- Capecitabine
- Carboplatin
- Carmustine
- Certolizumab Pegol
- Chlorambucil
- Choline Salicylate
- Cisplatin
- Cladribine
- Cyclophosphamide
- Cytarabine
- Cytarabine Liposome
- Dacarbazine
- Dactinomycin
- Daunorubicin
- Daunorubicin Citrate Liposome
- Decitabine
- Docetaxel
- Doxifluridine
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride
- Doxorubicin Hydrochloride Liposome
- Edatrexate
- Eflornithine
- Epirubicin
- Estramustine
- Etanercept
- Etoposide
- Floxuridine
- Fludarabine
- Fluorouracil
- Fotemustine
- Gallium Nitrate
- Gemcitabine
- Golimumab
- Hydroxyurea
- Idarubicin
- Ifosfamide
- Irinotecan
- Lomustine
- Mechlorethamine
- Melphalan
- Mercaptopurine
- Mesalamine
- Methotrexate
- Mitolactol
- Mitomycin
- Mitotane
- Mitoxantrone
- Mycophenolic Acid
- Olsalazine
- Oxaliplatin
- Paclitaxel
- Pegaspargase
- Pentostatin
- Pipobroman
- Pirarubicin
- Plicamycin
- Procarbazine
- Raltitrexed
- Rilonacept
- Rituximab
- Salicylamide
- Salicylic Acid
- Salsalate
- Sirolimus
- Sodium Salicylate
- Sodium Thiosalicylate
- Streptozocin
- Tacrolimus
- Teceleukin
- Tegafur
- Temsirolimus
- Teniposide
- Thioguanine
- Thiotepa
- Topotecan
- Treosulfan
- Trimetrexate
- Trofosfamide
- Trolamine Salicylate
- Uracil Mustard
- Vinblastine
- Vincristine
- Vincristine Liposome
- Vindesine
- Vinorelbine
Receiving this vaccine with any of the following medicines may cause an increased risk of certain side effects, but using both drugs may be the best treatment for you. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.
- Abatacept
- Leflunomide
Other Interactions
Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.
Other Medical Problems
The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this vaccine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:
- AIDS or HIV infection or
- Blood disorder (weak immune system) or
- Bone marrow cancer or
- Fever with an infection or
- Immune deficiency condition, or family history of, or
- Leukemia (cancer of the blood) or
- Lymphoma (cancer of the immune system) or
- Neomycin allergy, history of or
- Neutropenia (low white blood cell count) or
- Tuberculosis, active and untreated—Should not be used in patients with these conditions.
- Shingles, history of—The Zostavax® vaccine has not been studied in these patients.
