CORE Feline Vaccines and
Administration Recommendations

Complete Text:   www.aafponline.org/resources/practice_guidelines.htm

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CORE Feline Vaccines

(based on the 2006 Report of the AAFP Feline Vaccine Advisory Group)
CORE
Vaccines		 Primary Kitten
Series
(≤ 16 weeks)		 Primary Adult
Series
(> 16 weeks)		 Booster
Interval
Combination FVR-CP:

Parvovirus (Panleukopenia)
Herpesvirus-1 and Calicivirus
Modified-Live
(non-adjuvanted),
or
Killed (adjuvanted)

[Non-adjuvanted vaccines (MLV) are recommended]

(SQ or intranasal administration)

Administer 1 dose as early as 6 weeks of age,
then,

Every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. 

Administer 2 doses
3 to 4 weeks apart.

Administer 1 dose
one year following completion of the initial series; 

then…

Every 3 years thereafter.
 

Note: Annual booster of cats against FHV-1 and FCV may be recommended in cats housed in high risk environments.
Rabies
Recombinant
(non-adjuvanted)

[Non-adjuvanted vaccine(recombinant) is recommended]

(SQ injection)		 Administer 1 dose at
12 to 16 weeks
of age.		 Administer 1 dose Regardless of the cat’s age at the time of administration of the first dose, a second dose should be administered one year later.  Thereafter, the Recombinant Rabies vaccine must be administered annually.
Rabies
Killed - 1 Year
Killed - 3 Year
(adjuvanted)

(SQ injection)		 Administer 1 dose at
12 to 16 weeks
of age.		 Administer 1 dose Administer 1 dose
one year following administration
of the first dose,
then…

Every 3 years thereafter, unless otherwise stipulated by law or local statutes.
NOTE:  Requirements for Feline rabies vaccination are established by State and/or
local statutes and may differ from the recommendations listed above.

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NON-CORE Feline Vaccines

NON-CORE
(optional) Vaccines		 Primary Kitten
Series
(≤ 16 weeks)		 Primary Adult
Series
(> 16 weeks)		 Booster
Interval
Feline Leukemia Recombinant
(non-adjuvanted)

[Non-adjuvanted vaccine (recombinant) is recommended]

(Transdermal administration ONLY)		 Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart beginning as early as 12 weeks of age.		 Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart.		 Annual booster.

NOTE: booster vaccination is not recommended for all cats. Exposure risk should be considered prior to recommending.  
Feline Leukemia
Killed
(adjuvanted)


(SQ administration) 		Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart beginning as early as 12 weeks of age.  		Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart.		 Annual booster.

NOTE: booster vaccination is not recommended for all cats. Exposure risk should be considered prior to recommending.    
Chlamydophila felis
Avirulent Live
(non-adjuvanted)

[Non-adjuvanted vaccine (avirulent live) is recommended]

(SQ administration)

Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart beginning as early as 12 weeks of age. 

Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart		 Annual booster.

NOTE: booster vaccination is not recommended for all cats. Exposure risk should be considered prior to recommending.      
Chlamydophila felis
Killed
(adjuvanted)


(SQ administration)		 Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart beginning as early as 12 weeks of age. 		Administer 2 doses,
3 to 4 weeks apart.		 Annual booster.

NOTE: booster vaccination is not recommended for all cats. Exposure risk should be considered prior to recommending.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
Killed
(adjuvanted)




(SQ administration)		 Administration of
3 initial doses is required.
Beginning as early as 8 weeks of age, administer 2 additional doses 2 to 3 weeks apart. 		Administration of
3 initial doses is required.
Each dose should be administered
2 to 3 weeks apart.

Annual booster; booster vaccination is not recommended for all cats. Exposure risk should be considered prior to recommending.

NOTE: A single dose of FIV vaccine will cause a false-positive test result on all commercial FIV tests.

Bordetella bronchiseptica

Avirulent Live
(non-adjuvanted)

(Intranasal ONLY)		 Administer a single dose as early as
8 weeks of age.		 Administer a single dose.

Annually, but only in cats with established risk of exposure.
NOTE: Although vaccines licensed by the USDA are currently available in the
United States, routine vaccination of cats against Feline Infectious
Peritonitis (feline coronavirus) and Giardia lamblia is NOT recommended.

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