Stelara makes your immune system (your body’s defense against disease) less able to function. Certain vaccines (called live vaccines) are made from weakened forms of a virus. Because your immune system can’t fight off the virus very well, you shouldn’t get live vaccines during Stelara treatment. Doing so can put you at risk for developing the infection that the vaccine is meant to prevent.
Your doctor may recommend that you have all of the vaccines you need before you start Stelara treatment. This includes both live and non-live vaccines, with the exception of the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine.
The BCG vaccine is meant to prevent tuberculosis (TB). It’s more commonly given to people who live outside of the United States. You shouldn’t start taking Stelara for at least 1 year after you’ve received a BCG vaccine.
If you receive any non-live vaccines while you’re taking Stelara, it’s possible that your immune system won’t have the right response to the vaccine. This means that the vaccine might not be able to prevent the infection that it’s meant to prevent.
Talk with your doctor to make sure you are up to date on all of your vaccinations before you start using Stelara.