Research overview: maternal antibody interference in kitten vaccination

Kittens receive passive maternal antibodies through colostrum that protect them early in life but can also interfere with vaccination by neutralizing vaccine antigens before the kitten mounts its own response, creating a window of susceptibility when maternal antibody is too low to protect but high enough to block vaccination. This biology underlies the recommendation for a series of kitten vaccinations rather than a single dose. This overview synthesizes the immunology literature rather than one source, describing how maternal antibody wanes at variable rates, why repeated doses through about sixteen weeks or older ensure coverage as interference fades, and how this informs vaccination scheduling. It matters because understanding maternal antibody interference is essential to protecting kittens against serious diseases like panleukopenia.