Feline vaccination protocols balance disease prevention against the welfare impact of unnecessary procedures. Evidence-based protocols minimise both disease risk and over-vaccination.
Over-vaccination — administering boosters more frequently than supported by immunity duration evidence — exposes cats to repeated needle stick stress, vaccine reactions, and the rare but serious risk of injection site sarcoma without providing additional immunity benefit. The welfare case for evidence-based vaccination protocols that match booster frequency to actual immunity duration is clear: cats are protected while avoiding unnecessary procedures. Injection site sarcoma risk is reduced by using intranasal or transdermal administration routes where available, and rotating injection sites for mandatory subcutaneous vaccines. Annual wellness visits remain important for health monitoring even when vaccination frequency reduces — the visit benefit is maintained without the injection burden.