There is currently a nationwide shortage of cat vaccines in Australia due to complicated supply problems post-COVID. All brands are affected, and the shortage is expected to continue until early 2024.
Due to this shortage, vaccination of the most vulnerable and youngest cats must be prioritised. Kittens who have not yet completed their primary course of vaccinations or had their first adult booster have the lowest immunity, and will receive priority access when stock is available. Cats in shelter environments are also at high risk.
During this time we will not be deactivating our reminder system which informs you of when your cat is due for vaccination and an annual health check. Even though stock may be unavailable, it is important to be aware of when your cat is due for their vaccination. For healthy cats who stay out of mischief their annual vaccination is often the only time they are examined by a veterinarian, which is a critical touchpoint to assess their current health status.
What diseases do we vaccinate against?
The core vaccine we administer to cats is the F3 vaccination, which offers protection against feline parvovirus (panleukopaenia), herpesvirus, and calicivirus. Herpesvirus and calicivirus are two of the viruses involved in cat flu. Cats are typically vaccinated 2-3 times as a kitten, then every 1-3 years to maintain immunity. Other vaccines available are the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) vaccine and the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) vaccine, though we do not routinely recommend these vaccines in our area.
How at-risk is my adult cat?
If your adult cat received all their kitten vaccinations when they were young, and has consistently been vaccinated every 1-3 years as an adult, they likely have adequate immunity that will last until the vaccines are available again. Vaccinations are registered for the minimum duration of immunity, and in practice likely offer immunity for a much longer period of time.
Is there a way to test my cat’s current immunity?
Titre testing is available to assess your cat’s current immune status to the diseases covered by the F3 vaccine. This is a blood test which takes a couple of hours to perform, and is completed on site at our veterinary hospital.
For more information about titre testing please visit our previous blog post about titre testing.
What can I do to minimise the risk of disease exposure to my cat?
If you are concerned about your cat’s welfare, the best way to minimise their risk of exposure to disease is to minimise their contact with other cats. Keep them inside wherever possible (especially at night, when more cats roam) in their home environment. Consider a pet sitter instead of a boarding kennel over Christmas. If you are planning on introducing a new cat or kitten to your family, enquire about their vaccination history and consider keeping them separate from your existing cats until all cats can have their vaccinations brought up to date.
What do I do if my cat needs to go into boarding over Christmas?
If your cat is going in to boarding over Christmas and will be overdue for vaccination, please get in touch with your boarding facility to discuss their vaccination policy. Many boarding facilities will be amending their requirements over this period and will extend the time frame for overdue vaccinations, or will accept titre test results instead.
We will get in touch with all our cat owners when the F3 vaccine is available again.
If you have any further questions, please get in touch to discuss your situation further with one of our team members.
Dr Caroline Wood
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