Vaccination
What is vaccination?
Vaccination is the creation of protection in an individual against specific infections. Vaccines are based on either weakened (attenuated) forms of the natural infections or killed (inactivated) forms. The vaccine is injected into the individual where it then fools the body into believing that it has encountered the real infection. This stimulates the immune system into producing antibodies and activates protective white blood cells. The vaccine "primes" the immune system to a stage where it is ready to jump into action against specific infections and to overwhelm them when it
encounters them. Without vaccination, the delay in getting the immune system into gear may be fatal. Vaccines are generally designed to stimulate protection against those infections for which we do not yet have effective medicines.
What vaccines are available for my cat?
There is an increasing number of vaccines for cats nowadays. For over forty years, we have been able to vaccinate against the cat flu viruses (feline calicivirus and feline herpes virus). We've also been protecting cats against a very serious form of gastro-enteritis - the feline panleucopaenia virus. In more recent years, we've been able to protect against one of the viruses which causes cat AIDS - the feline leukaemia virus or FeLV. We can also now protect against another little organism called chlamydia, involved with upper respiratory and eye infections, as well as subfertility in breeding animals. Rabies vaccinations were only routinely given to cats which were being exported from this country to areas of risk but the Pet Passport Scheme means that many more cats are now routinely vaccinated against rabies. Scientists are working on the development of vaccines against other fatal viral infections, including feline infectious peritonitis or FIP virus and feline immunodeficiency virus or FIV. A vaccine for FIP and FIV exist in the United States, but are so far unavailable in the UK.
When should I get my cat vaccinated?
Kittens usually obtain antibodies from their mother which provide protection against infectious disease for the first few weeks of life but these start to wear off leaving them open to infections. This is when we want to step in with vaccination to help protect the kitten. Kitten vaccination courses usually involve two sets of vaccinations, the first at nine weeks of age, the second at twelve. The kitten is then fully protected about a week after the second part of the course. As immunity declines with time, we advise annual booster vaccination to keep your cat up to date with protection. It also gives us the perfect opportunity to check your cat for any other health problems.
My cat lives entirely indoors- does it still need vaccination?
The advice is most definitely yes. Certain viruses - particularly the enteritis virus - can persist for a considerable time outside the body. There is always the possibility of introducing the virus into your home on your shoes or clothing. Feline leukaemia virus requires close
contact for transmission, so an indoor cat is not at risk. In addition, you should also consider the possibility of your cat having to go into a cattery at short notice. Reputable catteries will only accept vaccinated cats.
Are there any side effects to vaccination?
Vaccination stimulates the immune system, mimicking the natural infection, so occasionally the cat will feel a little subdued for a day or two after the injection. This is perfectly normal and is nothing to be alarmed about. The killed inactivated vaccines tend to cause reactions slightly more often than the live weakened vaccines. Rarely, some individuals may have a more severe allergic reaction within minutes or hours of receiving the injection. These cats need urgent medical support. This reaction is, however, very rare. Recent concern has been raised about the possible links between vaccination and the development of a growth or tumour at the injection site. The FeLV vaccine has been implicated in this but at present we don't know if it is the trigger, or if some other aspect of injection or vaccination is involved. In human medicine there is a growing concern about the "over-vaccination" of people, a topic which has spilled over into the animal world. In feline medicine we are seeing the emergence of views about the use of "core" and "non-core" vaccines. The core vaccines are the flu and enteritis vaccines which are considered to be essential for all cats. The non-core vaccines
are the ones which could be used only if the cat was in a situation where it was considered to be at risk. These include vaccines against
FeLV and Chlamydia.
Although we're hearing a bit more of a backlash against vaccination, serious side effects are very uncommon. The benefits of protection against common fatal infections far outweigh any possible risks and we at The Cat Clinic strongly recommend routine
vaccination for all cats.
Vaccination is the creation of protection in an individual against specific infections. Vaccines are based on either weakened (attenuated) forms of the natural infections or killed (inactivated) forms. The vaccine is injected into the individual where it then fools the body into believing that it has encountered the real infection. This stimulates the immune system into producing antibodies and activates protective white blood cells. The vaccine "primes" the immune system to a stage where it is ready to jump into action against specific infections and to overwhelm them when it
encounters them. Without vaccination, the delay in getting the immune system into gear may be fatal. Vaccines are generally designed to stimulate protection against those infections for which we do not yet have effective medicines.
What vaccines are available for my cat?
There is an increasing number of vaccines for cats nowadays. For over forty years, we have been able to vaccinate against the cat flu viruses (feline calicivirus and feline herpes virus). We've also been protecting cats against a very serious form of gastro-enteritis - the feline panleucopaenia virus. In more recent years, we've been able to protect against one of the viruses which causes cat AIDS - the feline leukaemia virus or FeLV. We can also now protect against another little organism called chlamydia, involved with upper respiratory and eye infections, as well as subfertility in breeding animals. Rabies vaccinations were only routinely given to cats which were being exported from this country to areas of risk but the Pet Passport Scheme means that many more cats are now routinely vaccinated against rabies. Scientists are working on the development of vaccines against other fatal viral infections, including feline infectious peritonitis or FIP virus and feline immunodeficiency virus or FIV. A vaccine for FIP and FIV exist in the United States, but are so far unavailable in the UK.
When should I get my cat vaccinated?
Kittens usually obtain antibodies from their mother which provide protection against infectious disease for the first few weeks of life but these start to wear off leaving them open to infections. This is when we want to step in with vaccination to help protect the kitten. Kitten vaccination courses usually involve two sets of vaccinations, the first at nine weeks of age, the second at twelve. The kitten is then fully protected about a week after the second part of the course. As immunity declines with time, we advise annual booster vaccination to keep your cat up to date with protection. It also gives us the perfect opportunity to check your cat for any other health problems.
My cat lives entirely indoors- does it still need vaccination?
The advice is most definitely yes. Certain viruses - particularly the enteritis virus - can persist for a considerable time outside the body. There is always the possibility of introducing the virus into your home on your shoes or clothing. Feline leukaemia virus requires close
contact for transmission, so an indoor cat is not at risk. In addition, you should also consider the possibility of your cat having to go into a cattery at short notice. Reputable catteries will only accept vaccinated cats.
Are there any side effects to vaccination?
Vaccination stimulates the immune system, mimicking the natural infection, so occasionally the cat will feel a little subdued for a day or two after the injection. This is perfectly normal and is nothing to be alarmed about. The killed inactivated vaccines tend to cause reactions slightly more often than the live weakened vaccines. Rarely, some individuals may have a more severe allergic reaction within minutes or hours of receiving the injection. These cats need urgent medical support. This reaction is, however, very rare. Recent concern has been raised about the possible links between vaccination and the development of a growth or tumour at the injection site. The FeLV vaccine has been implicated in this but at present we don't know if it is the trigger, or if some other aspect of injection or vaccination is involved. In human medicine there is a growing concern about the "over-vaccination" of people, a topic which has spilled over into the animal world. In feline medicine we are seeing the emergence of views about the use of "core" and "non-core" vaccines. The core vaccines are the flu and enteritis vaccines which are considered to be essential for all cats. The non-core vaccines
are the ones which could be used only if the cat was in a situation where it was considered to be at risk. These include vaccines against
FeLV and Chlamydia.
Although we're hearing a bit more of a backlash against vaccination, serious side effects are very uncommon. The benefits of protection against common fatal infections far outweigh any possible risks and we at The Cat Clinic strongly recommend routine
vaccination for all cats.