Cat Vaccinations: Helpful or Harmful?

Think all feline vaccines are safe and necessary? Think again.

While there's no question that certain vaccines provide lifelong protection for your cat, research suggests they also carry risks. For some -- but perhaps not all -- vaccines, the benefits far outweigh those risks. (Learn which highly contagious cat diseases are most important to vaccinate against.)

Rather than inoculating your cat with every vaccine available, or giving boosters every year, your vet should tailor an immunization schedule to your cat's health needs. Before any vaccination, ask your vet these questions:
Which are absolutely necessary?
If my cat is strictly indoors, does he need vaccines for rabies, feline leukemia, or FIV?
What's the risk of my cat developing a tumor at the injection site?
Do vaccines ever cause the disease they're designed to prevent?
What side effects should I expect? How long should they last?
What is vaccine-induced anaphylactic shock? Is it life threatening?
Does my cat need booster shots every year, or can he get them less frequently?
Is it safe to give multiple vaccines on the same day -- especially if my kitten is also being spayed or neutered?