Annualized Protocols

Lifetime Vaccination Protocol-FELINE

The AAFP Feline Vaccine Guidelines ( www.aafponline.org/resources/practice_guidelines.htm) are NOT intended to represent a standard vaccination protocol applicable to all practices…they were developed to facilitate efforts of individual practices in developing a RATIONAL VACCINATION PROTOCOL for individual patients.

This section depicts LIFETIME VACCINATION PROTOCOLS for cats. The protocols outlined here are representative of protocols currently in use throughout the United States that incorporate recommendations put forth in the 2006 AAFP Feline Vaccine Guidelines.

FACT FINDERS (Footnotes) provided at the end of each table address controversial issues as well as commonly asked questions regarding feline vaccination.

(LANDSCAPE mode may be necessary to print this page due to large tables)

Initial Vaccination Series for Kittens

CORE Vaccine	Age in Weeks
CORE Vaccine	6wk	7wk	8wk	9wk	10wk	11wk	12wk	13wk	14wk	15wk	16wk	-	1y4m
Panleukopenia (MLV)			P				P				P		P
Herpesvirus-1 and Calicivirus (MLV)			H/C				H/C				H/C		H/C
Recombinant Rabies											rR		rR

NON-CORE Vaccine (OPTIONAL)	Age in Weeks
NON-CORE Vaccine (OPTIONAL)	6wk	7wk	8wk	9wk	10wk	11wk	12wk	13wk	14wk	15wk	16wk	-	1y4m
Recombinant Feline Leukemia (transdermal) (non-adjuvanted)							rFeLV				rFeLV		rFeLV

FACT FINDERS - Kitten Initial Series:

The kitten vaccination protocol outlined above centers on use of NON-Adjuvanted vaccines for cats and is consistent with recommendations outlined by the 2006 AAFP Advisory Panel on Feline Vaccination.
Conventional label recommendations for the initial kitten series has traditionally been a 2 dose series administered at 9 and 12 weeks. HOWEVER…one of the most significant changes to the Feline Vaccination Guidelines is the recommendation to administer 3 doses of FVR-CP (rather than the conventional 2 doses). The last (3rd) dose should be administered at 15 to 16 weeks of age (similar to the initial puppy series).

The reason behind this recommendation is to assure that immunization against Panleukopenia (feline parvovirus) is not impeded by maternal antibody. Recent studies have shown that a significant number of cats receiving the last dose of the initial vaccine series at 12 weeks of age were not immunized against panleukopenia.
Feline Leukemia is listed as a ”non-core” vaccine. However, the AAFP Advisory Panel recommends that all kittens receive the initial 2-dose series (eg, at 12 and 15 or 16 weeks of age). Reason: even “indoor cats” get out. Where there is a reasonable likelihood that an indoor “only” pet cat could have outdoor access, FeLV is reasonably recommended.
Recombinant rabies (rRabies) and recombinant FeLV (rFeLV) vaccines are recommended on the basis of the fact they do not contain nor require adjuvant. In addition to stimulating FeLV antibody production, the rFeLV vaccine (transdermal vaccination) is the only FeLV vaccine that has been shown to produce a cell-mediated immune (CMI) response in cats.

NOTE: Antibody against FeLV is only effective against circulating FeLV. Because FeLV naturally resides inside cells (especially bone marrow lymphoid cells), the CMI response (transdermal administration) may be particularly important in mitigating the consequences of infection.
Cats older than 15-16 weeks of age presented for the first time for initial vaccines should receive 2 Doses (of any vaccine selected for administration) 3 to 4 weeks apart.

Adjuvanted Feline Vaccine

Package inserts and labels do NOT indicate whether a vaccine contains adjuvant. It is important to know that, in the US, all killed feline vaccines are adjuvanted. It may be possible to mitigate the risk of tumor formation in cats by avoiding adjuvanted (killed) vaccines in place of recombinant and/or modified-live vaccines, neither of which contain adjuvant unless combined with other adjuvanted (killed) vaccine.

In the US, Modified Live Virus (MLV), live bacterial (eg, intranasal B. bronchiseptica), and Recombinant Vaccines DO NOT contain Adjuvant.

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Adult Booster Protocol-FELINE

CORE Vaccine	Age in Years
CORE Vaccine	+2yr	+3yr	+4yr	+5yr	+6yr	+7yr	+8yr	+9yr	+10yr	+11yr
Panleukopenia (MLV)			P			P			P
Herpesvirus-1 and Calicivirus (MLV)			FVR & C			FVR & C			FVR & C
rRabies	rR	rR	rR	rR	rR	rR	rR	rR	rR	rR

NON-CORE (OPTIONAL)	Age in Years
NON-CORE (OPTIONAL)	+2yr	+3yr	+4yr	+5yr	+6yr	+7yr	+8yr	+9yr	+10yr	+11yr
Recombinant Feline Leukemia (transdermal) (non-adjuvanted)	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV	rFeLV
B. bronchiseptica (IntraNasal)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)	(Bb)
Chlamydophila	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)	(CI)

FACT FINDERS-Adult FELINE Booster Vaccinations:

Minimum duration of protective immunity for the MLV-Panleukopenia, MLV-herpesvirus-1 and calicivirus is considered to be at least 3-years, regardless of manufacturer. (FACT: MLV Panleukopenia vaccines are likely to induce protective immunity that lasts for several years, possibly life.) Killed virus vaccines may not provide protective immunity for 3 years. Rabies booster vaccines must be given in accordance with State or local statutes.
Recombinant rabies (rRabies) is currently licensed for annual administration only. A 3-year Duration of Immunity study is currently underway.

QUESTION: Is there a difference in the fibrosarcoma risk associated with administering rRabies annually vs. a killed-adjuvanted rabies vaccine every 3 years?

ANSWER: Nobody knows…however, the 21-day post-vaccination (FeLV and Rabies) studies of skin show minimal to no inflammation compared to demonstrable inflammation associated with adjuvanted vaccine administration.
FeLV Booster vaccination: Natural resistance to FeLV infection is significant (but NOT absolute) by the time a cat reaches about 8 months of age. Administration of a booster FeLV vaccine is recommended annually but only in cats with a clear risk of exposure (eg, outdoor or indoor/outdoor male cats). As long as an individual cat’s risk is defined by free roaming opportunities or regular access to the great outdoors, annual booster is indicated.

Adult cats that are, in fact, strictly indoor cats have minimal to no risk of infection and do not require annual FeLV booster vaccination.
The recombinant FeLV (rFeLV) vaccine is recommended over killed-adjuvanted vaccines. The vaccine provides excellent immunity with minimal to no post vaccination inflammation compared with adjuvanted FeLV vaccines. (Study conducted at NCSU)
None of the FeLV vaccines on the market today in the US cause a FALSE Positive FeLV antigen test result. (Study conducted at NCSU)
Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine for cats is only available as a monovalent, intranasal product. The vaccine contains live, avirulent bacteria. Some cats will experience post-vaccination clinical signs of bacterial rhinitis and cough following administration of the vaccine. In practice, this product is seldom used. It is generally only recommended for cats with a clear risk of exposure to cats/dogs with B. bronchiseptica infections.
Chlamydophila felis (formerly, Chlamydia psittaci) vaccines are available as either killed (adjuvanted) or avirulent live (non-adjuvanted) products. Use should be limited to populations with a known risk of exposure to clusters of cats where upper respiratory infections are common or confirmed. When indicated, the avirulent (non-adjuvanted) product is recommended when ever feasible. C. felis vaccination is not typically used in routine vaccination programs for the individual household pet.
Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) Vaccines and Feline Giardia Vaccines are NOT GENERALLY RECOMMENDED in cats.

FIP Vaccine: the FIP vaccine has never been clearly demonstrated to protect cats against infection and disease. The vaccine was released in the early 1980s before our current understanding of the pathogenesis of FIP virus infection was known. Interestingly, no one has been able to manufacture an efficacious vaccine over the last 25 years.

Giardia Vaccine: Independent studies on the efficacy of the Feline Giardia vaccine are not available. Efficacy studies conducted by the manufacturer suggest the vaccine will reduce shedding of organisms but does not prevent infection. One study has suggested there may be some value in “treating” feline giardia infection with the vaccine. However, this product is NOT labeled as a therapeutic vaccine and its use as such should only be done with owner consent.
A Virulent Systemic (VS) Feline Calicivirus vaccine became available February 2007. Independent studies on the efficacy of this vaccine are not available. Administration should be limited to cats with a defined risk (eg, shelter cats and other domestic cats with risk of exposure to infected cats). The vaccine is NOT generally recommended for routine use in household cats. Additional information to consider:
- A limited number of confirmed outbreaks have been confirmed (8 in the last 10 years in the UK and the US).
- Evidence of a long-term carrier state is lacking.
- The majority of confirmed outbreaks have occurred among shelter cats.
- Multiple (over 40) variants of the VS-feline calicivirus exist in nature. The current vaccine has no demonstrated efficacy against any strains of VS calicivirus other than the one the vaccine was produced from. There is no evidence to support its efficacy in protecting cats against future outbreaks involving different strains.
- Despite statements declared in advertisements, the prevalence of VS-Feline Calicivirus in the US is NOT known to be increasing.
Beyond 10 to 12 years of age, risk of exposure and infection to CORE antigens is considered to be nil in any cat that has previously been vaccinated. Continued triennial vaccination beyond 10 to 12 years of age is left to the discretion of the clinician and should be based on reasonable knowledge of exposure risk.

Adult Initial Vaccination

NOTE: ANY cat 4 months of age or older, if presented for INITIAL VACCINATION, should receive 2 doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart, of ALL vaccines deemed appropriate.

Exceptions include:
Intranasal B. bronchiseptica and RABIES. A single dose is appropriate.

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