Cholera Vaccine, Oral

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KEY POINTS

• This medicine is taken by mouth to provide protection against cholera infection.
• This medicine may cause unwanted side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that are serious, continue, or get worse.
• Tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take.

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What are other names for this medicine?

Type of medicine: vaccine

Generic and brand names: cholera vaccine, live, oral; Vaxchlora

What is this medicine used for?

This medicine is taken by mouth at least 10 days before possible cholera exposure to provide protection against infection. Cholera is spread most often through infected food or water. Cholera may also be spread by close contact with someone who is infected, such as people living in the same household.

What should my healthcare provider know before I take this medicine?

Before receiving this medicine, tell your healthcare provider if you have ever had:

• An allergic reaction to any medicine
• A weakened immune system from cancer treatment, diseases such as HIV/AIDS, or from taking steroid medicines or medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection

Tell your healthcare provider if you have taken antibiotics within the past 14 days or malaria medicines within the past 10 days.

Females of childbearing age: Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Do not breast-feed while taking this medicine without your healthcare provider's approval.

How do I use it?

This medicine is given by a healthcare provider as a small cup of liquid. You need to drink the entire cup right away.

Do not eat or drink for 1 hour before and 1 hour after you have this vaccine.

What should I watch out for?

This vaccine contains live cholera bacteria. You may pass the bacteria to other people if they come in contact with your bowel movements. For at least 14 days after you receive this vaccine, wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before preparing or handling food.

Talk with your provider about how long to wait before you receive other vaccines after taking this vaccine.

If you need emergency care, surgery, lab tests, or dental work, tell the healthcare provider or dentist you have received this medicine.

What are the possible side effects?

Along with its needed effects, your medicine may cause some unwanted side effects. Some side effects may be very serious. Some side effects may go away as your body adjusts to the medicine. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that continue or get worse.

Life-threatening (Report these to your healthcare provider right away. If you cannot reach your healthcare provider right away, get emergency medical care or call 911 for help): Allergic reaction (hives; itching; rash; trouble breathing; tightness in your chest; swelling of your lips, tongue, and throat).

Serious (Report these to your healthcare provider right away.): High fever (over 103°F, or 39.5°C).

Other: Mild fever; diarrhea; nausea; vomiting; stomach pain; headache; decreased appetite; mild tiredness or weakness.

What products might interact with this medicine?

When you take this medicine with other medicines, it can change the way this or any of the other medicines work. Nonprescription medicines, vitamins, natural remedies, and certain foods may also interact. Using these products together might cause harmful side effects. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking:

• Antibiotics such as amoxicillin (Amoxil, Moxatag), azithromycin (Zithromax, Zmax), cefdinir (Omnicef), cefixime (Suprax), cephalexin (Keflex), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), clarithromycin (Biaxin), erythromycin (E.E.S., Ery-Tab, Erythrocin), levofloxacin (Levaquin), rifampin (Rifadin), sulfadiazine, and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (Bactrim, Septra)
• Cancer medicines such as cisplatin, doxorubicin (Doxil), hydroxyurea (Droxia, Hydrea), vinblastine, and vincristine (Marqibo)
• Corticosteroids such as betamethasone, cortisone, dexamethasone, fludrocortisone, hydrocortisone (A-Hydrocort, Cortef), methylprednisolone (Medrol, Solu-Medrol), prednisolone (Omnipred, Orapred, Prelone), prednisone (Prednisone Intensol), and triamcinolone (Aristospan, Kenalog)
• Immunosuppressants such as azathioprine (Azasan, Imuran), cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune), mycophenolate (CellCept, Myfortic), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Astagraf, Prograf, Protopic)
• Malaria medicines such as artemether/lumefantrine (Coartem), chloroquine, mefloquine, primaquine, and quinine
• Medicines to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other immune disorders such as adalimumab (Humira), anakinra (Kineret), certolizumab (Cimzia), etanercept (Enbrel), golimumab (Simponi), infliximab (Remicade), leflunomide (Arava), tocilizumab (Actemra), tofacitinib (Xeljanz), and ustekinumab (Stelara)

Keep a record of all vaccines received and when you received them.

If you are not sure if your medicines might interact, ask your pharmacist or healthcare provider. Keep a list of all your medicines with you. List all the prescription medicines, nonprescription medicines, supplements, natural remedies, and vitamins that you take. Be sure that you tell all healthcare providers who treat you about all the products you are taking.

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This advisory includes selected information only and may not include all side effects of this medicine or interactions with other medicines. Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for more information or if you have any questions.

Keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Do not share medicines with other people.