2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Published Aug 13, 2020

Tailored Immunity for Our Feline Companions: Keeping Cats Healthy with the AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines

Vaccination plays a pivotal role in safeguarding cats from infectious diseases and improving health and longevity, and it is an important part of personalized healthcare plans for cats. The AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines guide veterinary practitioners on when to administer core and noncore vaccines, how to perform individualized risk assessments, and optimal vaccination intervals.

Key points from the AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines:

Core Vaccines

Core vaccines are for all cats with an unknown vaccination history.
FHV-1, FCV, FPV, rabies, and FeLV (for cats younger than 1 year old) are core vaccines for pet and shelter cats.

Non-core Vaccines

Based on individual risk factors such as lifestyle, geographic location, and exposure risks.
Non-core vaccines include FeLV (for cats older than 1 year), Chlamydia felis, and Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccines.

Individualized Risk Assessments

Ask questions about the lifestyle of the specific cat, as well as any other cats in the household or potentially introduced into the household.
Travel, boarding, housing, and enrichment activities or excursions outside of the home should also be considered.
A risk assessment for exposure to disease should be done at least once a year.

Educating the Healthcare Team

The veterinary healthcare team, led by the veterinarian, should emphasize to clients that they are part of a team approach to vaccine management.
This requires that the entire staff understand zoonotic diseases, core and non-core vaccines, hospital policy, state law, client compliance, and adverse vaccination events.

Look to the AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines for vaccine intervals and timing, client communication tips, adverse vaccine reactions, an update on injection-site sarcomas, and more!

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Elanco Animal Health, Merck Animal Health, and Zoetis Petcare supported the development of the 2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines and resources through an educational grant to AAHA.