Vaccination of the young kitten

Gaskell, R. M.

This paper draws together those diseases of the cat where vaccination is either being practised in the UK or overseas, or is currently being considered. In the UK, vaccination is routinely carried out for feline panleucopenia, feline viral rhino‐tracheitis (FVR), and feline calicivirus infection, and in quarantine, cats are also vaccinated against rabies. In the USA and some other countries, vaccination is also carried out against feline leukaemia virus infection, feline Chlamydia psit‐taci infection and routinely against rabies. Attempts are also being made to develop vaccines for feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), although there are a number of problems associated with the development of a successful FIP vaccine which will be referred to later. Factors important in prevention and control of the three diseases feline panleucopenia, FVR, and feline calicivirus infection for which vaccination in the UK is commonly practised will be discussed. For each disease, some background information on the virus and the epizootiology of the disease is given, which it is hoped will lead to greater understanding of the principles involved in prevention and control. A few points will then be made about vaccination in some of those diseases where vaccines are being developed or where it is carried out in other countries.