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Do indoor FIV positive cats really need annual vaccinations?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 12 lbs

We have a FIV cat and our vet suggested not giving annual vaccinations as he is low risk and may be counter-productive. I would like a second opinion please.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on November 30th, 2016

I would tend to agree with your vet. FIV positive cats do not have a normal immune system, so vaccinating them may not be effective regardless and the vaccine itself can sometimes cause unwanted reactions. If Mikel's life-style is low-risk (indoor only, no new cats added recently to the household), I would not recommend vaccinating him as the downsides probably outweigh the benefits for him.

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