Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Feline Parvovirus (FPV; MLV, parenteral)

Vaccine
FPV (killed, adjuvanted or killed, nonadjuvanted, parenteral)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Begin at 6–8 weeks of age, then every
2–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or
older. Revaccinate anytime between
6 and 12 months of age.
Two doses 2-4 weeks apart are
generally recommended, although a
single dose is very likely to be fully
protective, then not more often than
every 3 years.

Comments and
Core.
Recommendations
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines
Feline Herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1; MLV, non-adjuvanted, parenteral and
Vaccine intranasal products are available)
FHV-1 (killed, adjuvanted, parenteral)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Begin at 6–8 weeks of age, then every
2–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or
older. Revaccinate anytime between 6
and 12 months of age, then not more
often than every 3 years for a low-risk
cat. Annual revaccination should be
provided for a higher risk cat.
Two doses 2–4 weeks apart are
generally recommended.
Revaccinate not more often than
every 3 years for a low-risk cat.
Annual revaccination should be
provided for a higher risk cat

Core.
MLV FHV-1/FCV vaccines are invariably combined with each other,
Comments and either as bivalent products or in combination with additional
Recommendations vaccine antigens (e.g. FPV). Mild upper respiratory disease signs are
occasionally seen following intranasal vaccination or aerosolization
or leakage from the injection site of parenteral MLV vaccine.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines
Feline Calicivirus (FCV; MLV, non-adjuvanted, parenteral and
intranasal products are available)
Vaccine FCV (killed, adjuvanted, parenteral)
FCV (killed, non-adjuvanted parenteral; containing two strains of
calicivirus)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Begin at 6–8 weeks of age, then every
2–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or
older. Revaccinate anytime between 6
and 12 months of age, then not more
often than every 3 years for a low-risk
cat. Annual revaccination should be
provided for a higher risk cat.
Two doses 2–4 weeks apart are
generally recommended.
Revaccinate not more often than
every 3 years for a low-risk cat.
Annual revaccination should be
provided for a higher risk cat.

Core.
MLV FHV-1/FCV vaccines are invariably combined with each other,
Comments and either as bivalent products or in combination with additional
Recommendations vaccine antigens (e.g. FPV). Mild upper respiratory disease signs are
occasionally seen following intranasal vaccination or aerosolization
or leakage from the injection site of parenteral MLV vaccine.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Rabies (canarypox virus-vectored recombinant, non-adjuvanted,

parenteral)
Vaccine Rabies (1- and 3-year killed, adjuvanted products are available,
parenteral)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Administer a single dose as early as 12 Administer a single dose with
weeks of age, with revaccination 1 revaccination 1 year later.
year later.

Core in areas where the disease is endemic.

Comments and Revaccination (booster) as per licensed DOI or
Recommendations as required by local regulations.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines
Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV; Canarypox virus-vectored recombinant,
non-adjuvanted, parenteral)
Vaccine FeLV (killed, adjuvanted, parenteral)
FeLV (recombinant protein subunit, adjuvanted, parenteral)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Administer an initial dose as early as 8
weeks of age; a second dose must be
administered 3–4 weeks later.
Administer a single dose 1 year
following the last dose of the initial
series.
Two doses, 3–4 weeks apart.
Revaccinate not more often than
every 2–3 years in cats assessed to
have sustained risk of exposure.

Non-core.
Comments and Only FeLV-negative cats will benefit from vaccination. FeLV testing
Recommendations must be performed prior to vaccine administration to avoid
unnecessary administration of vaccine.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Vaccine Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV; killed, adjuvanted, parenteral)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Three doses are required. The initial dose is
administered as early as 8 weeks of age; two
subsequent doses should be administered at
an interval of 2–3 weeks. Administer a single
dose 1 year following the last dose of the initial
series, then annually in cats determined to have
sustained risk of exposure.
Three doses are required. Each dose
is administered 2–3 weeks apart.
Administer a single dose 1 year
following the last dose of the initial
series, then annually in cats
determined to have sustained risk of
exposure.

Non-core.
Antibodies produced in response to vaccination are
indistinguishable from those produced after natural FIV infection
Comments and using one market-leading in-practice diagnostic test kit. However,
Recommendations other in-practice antibody detection kits (e.g. the Witness and
Anigen Rapid kits) can be used to distinguish vaccinated from
naturally-infected cats from several weeks to several months after
vaccination. Validated PCR diagnostic tests are also widely available.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Chlamydia felis (avirulent live, non-adjuvanted, parenteral)

Vaccine
Chlamydia felis (killed, adjuvanted, parenteral)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Administer the initial dose as early as 9 weeks Administer two doses, 2–4 weeks
of age; a second dose is administered 2–4 apart. Annual booster is indicated for
weeks later. Annual booster is indicated for cats with sustained exposure risk.
cats with sustained exposure risk.

Non-core.
Vaccination is most appropriately used as part of a control regime
Comments and for animals in multicat environments where infections associated
Recommendations with clinical disease have been confirmed. Inadvertent conjunctival
inoculation of vaccine has been reported to cause clinical signs of
infection.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Vaccine Bordetella bronchiseptica (avirulent live, non-adjuvanted, intranasal)

Vaccination of Kittens Vaccination of Adult Cats

Administer a single dose intranasally as Administer a single dose intranasally.
early as 4 weeks of age. Annual booster Annual booster is indicated for cats
is indicated for cats with sustained risk. with sustained risk.

Non-core.
Comments and Vaccination may be considered in cases where cats are likely to be
Recommendations at specific risk of infection; for example, cats that are kept in large
colonies.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP; MLV, non-adjuvanted, intranasal)

Vaccine

Not recommended.
Comments and According to the limited studies available, only cats known to be
feline coronavirus antibody-negative at the time of vaccination are
Recommendations likely to develop some level of protection. It is rare that a cat will be
coronavirus antibody negative at 16 weeks of age or older.
 Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Ringworm vaccine
Vaccine

Not recommended
Comments and The VGG does not recommend the use of a vaccine to prevent
dermatophytosis in cats since there are very few efficacy studies
Recommendations published. Although there are reports of success of
anti-dermatophyte vaccines in cattle and fur-bearing animals, the
response does not appear to be the same in cats, as these vaccines
do not protect against challenge infection.