Core vaccine selection (cats)

WSAVA guideline

Key findings

• Core, cats (worldwide): FPV, FCV, FHV; rabies core wherever endemic; FeLV core where prevalent — all cats <1 year plus adults with outdoor access (or indoor cats living with them); only FeLV-negative cats; elsewhere non-core (VGG 2024, Introduction; Table 2).
• Kitten schedule (Table 2): start no earlier than 6 weeks; repeat every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or older; high-risk: continue to 20 weeks at 2–3-week intervals; never more frequently than every 2 weeks.
• The most important dose is the one at ≥16 weeks; if only one vaccination is affordable, give core vaccines at 16+ weeks (VGG 2024, Executive Summary).
• A further core dose at or shortly after 26 weeks replaces the old 12–16-month first booster (VGG 2024, §Feline Vaccination Guidelines).
• Adults with unknown history: two doses 2–4 weeks apart generally recommended — a single dose protects many, but FHV/FCV are less potent than FPV (VGG 2024, Table 2).
• Adult intervals: ~6 months; then 3 years of age, thereafter no more than every 3 years (low-risk); higher-risk cats up to annually; boarding cats 1–2 weeks before exposure (VGG 2024, Table 2).
• MLV contraindications: no live vaccines in pregnant queens or kittens <4 weeks (FPV); inactivated core vaccines safer in pregnancy and preferred in some retrovirus-infected cats (VGG 2024, Table 2; FAQs).
• Serology: only FPV antibody reliably indicates protection (not FHV/FCV); from 20 weeks, ≥4 weeks after the last dose; up to 37% of kittens have MDA interference beyond 4 months (VGG 2024, §Serological Testing).

Drugs named in WSAVA’s own guideline text

As printed in WSAVA’s document, not this app’s own extracted data — see “Related drugs in this reference” below for that.

• (Cat)

  Not for pregnant queens or kittens <4 weeks

• (Cat)

  Less rapid than MLV; non-adjuvanted options

• (Cat)

  IN FPV inferior — always give concurrent parenteral FPV

• (Cat)

  Test FeLV-negative first

• (Cat)

  Non-adjuvanted option relevant to FISS

Recommendations

• Vaccinate all cats against FPV, FCV, FHV (6-to-16+ week series, 3–4-weekly)

  Core

• FeLV for all cats <1 year and outdoor-access adults where FeLV is prevalent

  Core (regional); Non-core elsewhere

• Rabies in all endemic areas, even without legal requirement

  Core (regional) + legal

• Final kitten dose at ≥16 weeks; further dose at or shortly after 26 weeks

  Core schedule principle

• Adult MLV core boosters no more often than every 3 years

  Core

• Two doses 2–4 weeks apart for adults with unknown vaccination history

  Core

• Avoid MLV in pregnant queens/kittens <4 weeks (use inactivated)

  Safety contraindication

• FPV serology from 20 weeks to confirm protection (optional)

  Optional

Related drugs in this reference (0)

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