FIV Vaccination There is currently a vaccination against FIV available only in the United States, the vaccine has not been licenced outside of the States as far as we know. The reports we have are that it is only partially successful (around 80%) which is better than nothing! But there are also reports that against some strains of FIV it is completely ineffective. The downside is that the vaccine will cause the cat to test positive for FIV for the rest of its life, which has the obvious dangers if the cat was ever to go missing and be taken to a rescue centre. You must weigh up the likelihood of each scenario, and mix in your own feelings of confidence before you can decide whether to vaccinate or not. Our own view would be not to vaccinate; we only vaccinate against potentially fatal diseases; and FIV is not one to worry about. Remember, FIV reduces the immune system, that is all. It is a progressive process that acts very slowly, taking several years before any symptoms show - many cats never showing symptoms at all. There is no real life shortening due to FIV. The worst that most encounter is a slower recovery rate after infections later in life. If you felt inclined to vaccinate, I would suggest having the cat microchipped (identity chip) as well, so if he/she ever did end up at a rescue centre, they should scan him/her and be able to contact you (we would always recommend microchipping a cat that has freedom to come and go) - This is assuming that you have microchipping available where you are Back to FIV FAQ Back to FIV home page