Abstract
Overview: This article presents, in a user-friendly, tabluated form, the ABCD’s current vaccination recommendations for four broad categories of cats: outdoor cats (ie, those with access outdoors that come into contact with other cats outdoors); indoor cats (ie, those with no contact with other cats from outdoors); rescue shelter cats; and cats in breeding catteries. Note that it is not always possible to make a clear distinction between these various categories and the definition in any individual case is left up to the veterinary surgeon conducting the vaccination interview.
Introduction
It was evident during the preparation of the complete ABCD vaccination guidelines that no single vaccination protocol would be appropriate for all cats across Europe. Rather, it is important to conduct a vaccination interview in order to devise a vaccination strategy appropriate to the lifestyle, geographical location and disease risks relevant to each feline patient. These matrix vaccination guidelines were compiled to assist veterinary surgeons during the vaccination interview, summarising the ABCD’s vaccine recommendations. The ‘core’ vaccines should be administered to all cats, whereas ‘circumstan- tial’ vaccines are required under specific circumstances (for example, for cats travelling to areas where rabies is endemic, or cats with out- door access and therefore at risk of infection with FeLV), and ‘non-core’ vaccines are recommended only for cats at risk of specific infections.
Abbreviations used in the matrix tables
DOI Duration of immunity
FCV Feline calicivirus
FCoV/FIP Feline coronavirus/feline infectious peritonitis
FeLV Feline leukaemia virus
FHV Feline herpesvirus
FPV Feline panleukopenia virus
MDA Maternally-derived antibodies
MLV Modified-live vaccine
PV Primary vaccination course
