Research overview: core and non-core feline vaccination guidelines

Vaccination guidelines from bodies such as the AAFP and WSAVA classify feline vaccines as core, recommended for all cats, including panleukopenia, herpesvirus, calicivirus, and rabies, and non-core, recommended based on individual risk, such as feline leukemia virus for at-risk cats. The guidelines also address vaccination intervals, with extended durations for some core vaccines, and emphasize individualized risk assessment. This overview synthesizes the guideline literature rather than one citation, describing the rationale for the core and non-core framework, why lifestyle and exposure drive non-core decisions, and how evolving evidence on duration of immunity shaped revaccination schedules. It matters because thoughtful, risk-based vaccination protects cats from serious infectious diseases while minimizing unnecessary injections and their potential adverse effects.