Feline Aids Vaccine - Pet Health

It stands to reason that if there is a vaccine for FIV or feline aids, every cat owner should know about it and take advantage, right?

Our friends over at Vetblog explain why this isnt' necessarily the case:

The vaccine for FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) has been on the market for several years. It has been the subject of intense controversy among veterinarians since its introduction. The vaccine is not widely used.

Many experts question the effectiveness of the FIV vaccine. Laboratory studies performed by the vaccine’s manufacturer have shown efficacy of the vaccine against some strains of the virus. However, there is no conclusive proof that the vaccine works in real life. As well, there is an inherent conflict of interest in studies performed by the manufacturer.

Another major complaint about the vaccine is that it interferes with testing for FIV. The test for FIV checks for antibodies to the virus. Any cat that receives the vaccine will develop antibodies to FIV. Therefore, any cat that receives the vaccine will test positive for FIV–even if he is not infected.

This situation is unfortunate, but there is a silver lining. FIV is fatal, but the disease takes several years to run its course. I hope that a more advanced test, one that can differentiate infected cats from vaccinated cats, will be available soon.

In the meanwhile, my advice to the commenter is as follows. Enjoy your new cat, and let him live a normal life. Keep him inside to protect him from contagious disease, and to protect other cats from possible FIV infection. Get veterinary examinations at least twice each year. And keep your fingers crossed.