Vaccination

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) strongly supports the use of vaccination as a fundamental component in the control of infectious diseases in companion animals. While it is recognised that adverse reactions, including occasional lack of efficacy, may occur, the overall benefit–risk assessment remains strongly in favour of vaccination as an effective means of controlling significant infectious diseases.

The Association recommends that all companion animals receive the protection against life-threatening infectious diseases that may be achieved through vaccination with appropriately licensed veterinary medicinal products.

The BSAVA further strongly supports:

• The undertaking of an individualised benefit-risk assessment for each animal, undertaken in consultation with the client, when determining the timing of vaccination and the selection of appropriate vaccines.
• The implementation of tailored vaccination protocols wherever practicable, in order to maintain appropriate levels of protective immunity within animal populations.
• Continued scientific investigation into the epidemiology, prevention and control of infectious diseases affecting companion animals, together with the dissemination of such research to support evidence-based clinical decision-making by veterinary surgeons.
• Ongoing research directed towards improving both the efficacy and safety of veterinary vaccines.
• The principles of pharmacovigilance and the reporting of suspected adverse events, either directly to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate or to the relevant marketing authorisation holder.

The BSAVA strongly recommends against the use of nosode vaccines in companion animals, as there is currently no evidence base to support claims of efficacy.

May 2026

The 2024 World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccination Guidelines define core vaccines as those that ALL dogs and cats should receive, after considering their lifestyle and the geographical areas in which they live or to which they travel.

Non-core vaccinations are those that should be highly recommended in animals whose geographical location and/or lifestyle (e.g. indoor-outdoor access, multi-pet household) places them at risk of contracting particular infections not designated as core.

WSAVA states that these guidelines are intended to provide broad guidance for veterinarians in decision-making. They do not describe mandatory or minimum standards of care. These guidelines can be used by national and regional veterinary associations and individual veterinarians or veterinary practices to develop their own vaccination schedules suitable to their own local conditions.

BSAVA recommends that, in the UK, consideration be given to vaccinating companion animals against the following diseases, depending on their individual circumstances and specific risk assessment. Core vaccines should be considered for all animals, non-core vaccines will need to be considered in specific circumstances.

Dogs

Core vaccines in the UK

The BSAVA gives the following recommendations for vaccines in dogs in the UK (the letters indicate the abbreviations often used in vaccination records):

• Canine Distemper Virus (D)
• Canine Adenovirus/Infectious Canine Hepatitis (H)
• Canine Parvovirus (P)
• Leptospirosis (L). Please be advised that vaccines are multivalent; preparations are available containing different Leptospira strains.

Non-core vaccines in the UK

• Bordetella bronchiseptica +/- Canine parainfluenza virus (Pi) (“Kennel Cough” vaccine): vaccination should be considered for dogs before kennelling or other situations in which they mix with other dogs (e.g. dog shows, training classes)
• Rabies: legal requirement for dogs travelling abroad / returning to the UK
• Canine Herpes Virus: for breeding bitches
• Leishmaniasis: before travelling to endemic areas, as a supplementary control measure to diligent ectoparasite control
• Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease): for dogs at high risk of exposure

Cats

Core vaccines in the UK

• Feline enteritis (feline parvovirus) (P)
• Cat flu (feline calicivirus (C) and herpes virus (H))
• Feline leukaemia vaccine (FeLV): applies to young cats (<1 year) and to older cats with outdoor access or that live with other cats that have outdoor access.*

*For FeLV vaccination, the BSAVA recommends FeLV testing before vaccination where possible. This is because no FeLV vaccine is 100% effective, so pre-vaccination testing can help determine whether a cat that later tests positive was already infected before vaccination or whether this represents vaccine failure. Vaccination is also not beneficial for cats already infected with FeLV.

Non-core vaccines in the UK

• Chlamydophila felis (Chlamydia)
• Rabies: legal requirement for cats travelling abroad / returning to the UK
• Bordetella bronchiseptica

The WSAVA guidelines also refer to high- and low-risk cats and advise that booster intervals for certain vaccinations may need to be considered on the basis of risk of exposure to diseases such as feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus-1.

• High-risk cats: cats which spend any time outdoors or live with cats which go outside, and/or go to a cattery.
• Low-risk cats: cats living in a household where no cats ever go outside, and never go to a cattery.

Primary vaccination and boosters

The majority of vaccinations require a primary course to ‘prime’ the immune response followed by periodic booster vaccines to maintain immunity. In most cases the primary course consists of at least 2 doses of vaccine given 2-5 weeks apart, followed by a booster a year later. The frequency of booster vaccinations after the first year will depend on the vaccine and the risk of exposure to disease. BSAVA would generally advise that the vaccine data sheet / Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) is followed, while allowing risk-based interpretation informed by broader guidelines. This is particularly relevant to discussions around WSAVA recommendations for additional or more frequent vaccination in younger puppies (DHP) and kittens (FCV, FHV, FPV), including consideration of a vaccine dose at around 6 months of age in some animals. BSAVA acknowledges that these recommendations are intended to reduce the risk of vaccine failure associated with maternally derived antibodies and variable early immune responses, while also recognising that vaccine SPCs may differ in their licensed schedules. In practice, BSAVA supports presenting both the licensed datasheet recommendations and the rationale behind broader WSAVA guidance, enabling veterinary surgeons to make evidence-based, risk-based decisions tailored to the individual animal and local disease risk.

Frequency of booster vaccinations

In the past, it was normal for all vaccines to be boosted every year; however, more recent evidence has shown that the duration of immunity following vaccination for some diseases is significantly longer than this, and the data sheets for many vaccines have now been amended to take account of this.

For the majority of UK authorised dog vaccines, the re-vaccination interval for the majority of the core vaccines (canine distemper, canine parvovirus and canine hepatitis) is at least every 3 years. These authorised re-vaccination schedules are in accordance with the WSAVA Guidelines which state ‘not more often than every 3 years’. However, vaccinations against leptospirosis and kennel cough require annual boosters.

The situation in cats is slightly more complicated because, although there is evidence of 3-year duration of immunity for feline enteritis and cat flu, the data sheet recommendations vary significantly between different vaccines.

The specific requirements for each product can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics available from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) websites.

Serology

Serological testing of rabies antibody levels is an accepted part of travel requirements for many countries. In a similar manner, it is possible to test levels of the antibodies of several pathogens included in vaccination protocols. Such ‘pre-booster titre tests may be suggested as an alternative to booster vaccination. However, recommendations based on the test results are not always straightforward. Also, antibody tests are not possible as alternatives for all of the core vaccinations, most importantly Leptospira.

Vaccination guidance for boarding establishments and Local Authorities

For more information regarding the legislative requirements for boarding establishments and Local Authorities, please refer to the relevant authority:

For England, licensing and enforcement are undertaken by the relevant Local Authority under the The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. In Wales and Scotland, boarding establishments are licensed by the relevant Local Authority under the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/43). In Northern Ireland, licences for boarding kennels and catteries are issued by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) (https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/).

Rabbits

The BSAVA recommends that consideration is given to annual vaccination of domestic rabbits against Myxomatosis and the two forms of Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) caused by RHDV-1 and RHDV-2 strains where local risks and individual veterinary advice indicate the need.

BSAVA recognises that the potential risk from any disease can be dependent on circumstances relevant to the pet. As part of a pet’s routine annual health check and preventative health care programme, BSAVA advises that owners should always work in partnership with their veterinary surgeon when discussing individual risk factors for their rabbit which may influence the type and frequency of vaccination recommended. These factors could include geographical location and local risk, indoor or outdoor housing regime and contact with other rabbits whether at shows, when boarding or by other means. Vets can help pet owners not only to decide on the most suitable vaccination protocol in individual cases, but where necessary they can also contact the vaccine manufacturer directly for further information.

Ferrets

• Rabies: legal requirement for ferrets travelling abroad / returning to the UK
• Distemper: Although there is no vaccine currently licensed for use in ferrets in the UK, consideration should be given to vaccination of ferrets with canine distemper vaccines after full discussion of the benefits and risks with the owner.

Owners are advised to discuss the vaccinations appropriate for their animal with their veterinary surgeon.

• VMD website
• NOAH website
• NOAH: dog vaccinations
• AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines
• AAHA/AAFP Feline Vaccination Guidelines
• Matrix Vaccination Guidelines: ABCD recommendations for indoor/outdoor cats, rescue shelter cats and breeding catteries
• WSAVA Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats

Gaskell RM, Gettinby G, Graham SJ and Skilton D (2002) Veterinary Products Committee Working Group Report on Feline and Canine Vaccination. Veterinary Record. 150 (5), 126-134.

Reviewed by members of BSAVA Scientific Committee (Nikki Bentley, Laura Copley, Gillian Diesel, Ben Garland, Macauly Gatenby, Peter Graham, Rachel Lumbis, Jasmine Malm, Michael Rampersad, Caroline Scobie, James Warland) 2026