2024 WSAVA guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) was convened to develop guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats intended to be helpful to veterinarians globally. The present document is an updated version of previous guidelines (2007, 2010 and 2016). The VGG recognises that its recommendations must be broad and based on fundamental immunological principles because detailed recommendations about vaccines and vaccination of dogs and cats that might be suitable for some countries or regions may be much less applicable elsewhere.
The most fundamental concepts proposed by VGG are captured in the following brief statement:
- (1) veterinarians should aim to vaccinate every dog and cat with the core vaccines;
- (2) selected non-core vaccines may be recommended after careful consideration of each pet's lifestyle and local prevalence of vaccine-manageable diseases;
- (3) core and non-core vaccines should be stored and administered correctly, and used only as frequently as necessary to provide lifelong protection against the diseases that threaten our dogs and cats, wherever they live or travel.
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. Notwithstanding this, the VGG strongly recommends that ALL dogs and cats should receive the benefit of vaccination. This will not only protect individual animals but will improve “herd immunity” to help minimise the risk of contagious disease outbreaks.
“2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats - compiled by the Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA)”. R A Squires, et al. J Small Anim Pract. 2024 Apr 3. doi: 10.1111/jsap.13718.
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