Travel vaccinations and cancer

Avoiding live vaccines

A live vaccine uses small amounts of a live virus or bacteria that has been weakened. They are also called attenuated vaccines. As a live vaccine is weakened it does not usually cause the infection. Live vaccines help your body's immune system recognise and fight the infection. 

You shouldn’t have any live vaccines while you’re having treatment and for up to 12 months afterwards. This is because you have a weakened immune system. The length of time depends on the treatment you are having. Ask your doctor or pharmacist how long you should avoid live vaccinations for.

In the UK, live vaccines include:

• MMR (the triple vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella)

• BCG (tuberculosis)

• influenza nasal spray (Fluenz Tetra)

• oral typhoid capsule

• dengue fever

• some types of cholera vaccine

• yellow fever

Yellow fever vaccine

You must not have the yellow fever vaccine if you:

• have thymus gland cancer 

• have had your thymus gland removed (for any reason)

We have a page about immunisations and cancer treatment. This has more information about the flu vaccine, MMR and other vaccines.

Immunisations and cancer treatment

Contact with people who have had vaccines

It’s safe for you to be in contact with other people who've had live vaccines as injections. But there is a very small risk from people who’ve had live vaccines taken by mouth. This includes the rotavirus vaccine given to babies.

The rotavirus can be passed on for 2 weeks after having the vaccine. So during this time, be very careful about handwashing and avoid changing nappies if at all possible.

Another live vaccine given by mouth in the UK is the oral typhoid vaccine.

Inactivated vaccines

You can have inactivated vaccines safely. Inactivated vaccines contain a killed virus or bacteria. They might not work as well as usual if you have a weakened immune system.

Inactivated vaccines in the UK include:

• diphtheria, tetanus and polio (a combined vaccine)

• the flu vaccine you have by injection

• rabies

• some types of cholera vaccine

• typhoid vaccine you have by injection

• meningitis

• tick borne encephalitis

• Japanese encephalitis

• hepatitis A and B (available separately or as a combined vaccine)

The hepatitis A vaccine is available in different combinations depending on what you need. So you could also have it alone or together with the typhoid vaccine.