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2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines resources related to the guidelines for veterinary teams.


References for the 2020 AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines .

Update on Feline Injection-Site Sarcomas

The Task Force believes that there is currently insufficient research to justify recommending a single vaccine type. Since injection site sarcomas are a risk, the Task Force recommends vaccination in the lower distal limbs to facilitate clean margins if surgical amputation is required.

Feline Patient Populations

For the purpose of creating specific, individualized vaccination recommendations based on risk of exposure, the Task Force has identified and defined the following feline populations based on their environment and lifestyle. The guidelines begin by discussing pet cats and then discuss a number of feline populations that are considered to be at relatively high risk of infectious disease exposure—namely, shelter cats, trap-neuterreturn/ trap-neuter-release cats, cattery cats, and foster cats.

Types of Vaccines

Vaccines, including those from different manufacturers that are licensed to protect against the same pathogen, should not be assumed as equivalent. Differences in processes and technology used to produce vaccines, as well as additives such as adjuvants, and vaccine route of administration influence efficacy, safety, and duration of immunity. Vaccines may be inactivated, attenuated live, or recombinant.

Vaccination Principles

Active immunization, achieved through proper vaccination, plays a critical role in the control of infectious diseases, both for individual cats and for the cat population as a whole. Some vaccines also reduce the potential for spread of zoonotic infections to humans (e.g., rabies). The benefits of routine, widespread vaccination are clear: the incidence of serious disease caused by pathogenic organisms, such as feline panleukopenia virus (FPV), can be reduced dramatically when widespread vaccination is practiced. However, the quality of vaccine-induced immunity is influenced by the patient’s environment, the characteristics of the vaccine, the pathogen, and the patient’s immune competence. Accurate prediction of the outcome of vaccination or the likelihood of exposure to a pathogen is impossible. Therefore, it is important that veterinarians inform cat owners that vaccination is not a guarantee of protection.

Core Vaccines for Pet Cats


Adverse Postvaccination Reactions

Although the administration of biological products is never entirely free of risk, currently available feline vaccines have an excellent safety record. That said, the true prevalence of adverse reactions is likely to be underestimated owing to underreporting by both veterinarians and owners. 49 Therefore, it is important to report any known or suspected negative events associated with vaccination.

Serology and Diagnostics

The interpretation of an antibody test result can be complex because antibody testing is used for many reasons. Depending on the antibodies tested for, antibody testing can be used for (1) diagnosis of infection, (2) identification of previous exposure to pathogens (particularly in unvaccinated animals), and (3) assessment of immunity prior to or following vaccination ( Table 7 ). Clinicians should understand when and why to perform antibody testing and use this knowledge to make evidence-based decisions prior to vaccination.

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