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Vaccination of Immunocompromised Cats
Katrin Hartmann1, Karin Möstl2, Albert Lloret3
1Clinic of Small Animal Medicine, Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany.
Insights
Vaccinating immunocompromised cats, including those with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukemia virus (FeLV), presents challenges due to limited data. This review guides veterinarians on optimal vaccination strategies for these vulnerable feline patients.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Immunology
- Feline Health
Background:
- Immunocompromise is prevalent in cats, stemming from viral infections (FIV, FeLV), chronic diseases (tumors, diabetes, CKD), and immunosuppressive drug use.
- Limited and sometimes conflicting data exist regarding the efficacy and safety of vaccinating immunocompromised cats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on vaccinating immunocompromised cats.
- To provide evidence-based recommendations and expert opinions to guide veterinary decisions.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of available scientific literature on feline vaccination in immunocompromised states.
- Incorporation of expert consensus from the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD) to address data gaps.
Main Results:
- Few studies specifically address vaccination protocols for immunocompromised cats.
- Contradictory findings in existing research highlight the need for cautious interpretation.
Conclusions:
- Veterinarians require clear guidelines for vaccinating immunocompromised cats due to the complexity and scarcity of data.
- This review aims to consolidate scientific evidence and expert opinion to support informed clinical decision-making for feline vaccination.
Abstract:
Immunocompromise is a common condition in cats, especially due to widespread infections with immunosuppressive viruses, such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), but also due to chronic non-infectious diseases, such as tumours, diabetes mellitus, and chronic kidney disease, as well as treatment with immunosuppressive drugs, such as glucocorticoids, cyclosporins, or tumour chemotherapy. In this review, the European Advisory Board on Cat Diseases (ABCD), a scientifically independent board of experts in feline medicine from eleven European countries, discusses the current knowledge and rationale for vaccination of immunocompromised cats. So far, there are few data available on vaccination of immunocompromised cats, and sometimes studies produce controversial results. Thus, this guideline summarizes the available scientific studies and fills in the gaps with expert opinion, where scientific studies are missing. Ultimately, this review aims to help veterinarians with their decision-making in how best to vaccinate immunocompromised cats.
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