Australia-wide Pet Vaccine Shortages

Australia-wide Pet Vaccine Shortages

by Dr Gretta Howard, Senior Veterinarian

There is currently an Australia-wide shortage of some vaccines, including the cat vaccine (F3) and the canine leptospirosis vaccine (Protech C2i).

Feline vaccine shortage

The cat vaccine (F3), vaccinates cats from the following diseases:

• Feline enteritis (parvovirus)
• Feline cat flu (calicivirus and herpesvirus)

Given the current Australia-wide shortage of cat vaccines, if your cat is boarding at another facility over forthcoming holidays and is due for a booster vaccination, please phone our practice on 9988-0198 to discuss the situation with one of our veterinary team members. 

If there is a health concern with your cat, I would recommend booking in the veterinary health exam component with the vet now (our regular consultation fee $119), then we can vaccinate your cat early next year but there will be no consult fee when you return for the booster, just the vaccine cost ($30).

If your cat is not boarding over summer, and you have no health concerns with your cat at the moment, then your cat should be placed on our waitlist for the cat vaccine, which is due to be restocked in early 2024. We will then contact you once the vaccine is back in stock. Please either email info@turramurravet.com.au or phone the practice on 9988-0198 to add your cat to the waitlist.

Canine Leptospirosis vaccine shortage

Leptospirosis is a potentially fatal disease transmitted to dogs via rats directly or via rat urine through contaminated water sources.

This is a non-core vaccine recommended for your dog in the following situations:

• Dogs that visit the Northern Beaches (including but not limited to Bayview dog beach, Narrabeen/Warriewood lagoon) or the Inner City (including Lower North Shore) and Inner West
• Dogs travelling to country and rural areas
• If your dog regularly goes swimming, drinks from puddles or has contact with rats then we would also advise vaccination

Updates on our Leptospirosis vaccination advice will be distributed via our e-news or on our leptospirosis page on our website. .

Dogs in the above categories who are either due for their annual leptospirosis booster or dogs that fall into one of the above situations, should be placed on our waitlist for the leptospirosis vaccine, which is due to be restocked in early 2024. We will then contact you once the vaccine is back in stock. Please either email info@turramurravet.com.au or phone the practice on 9988-0198 to add your dog to the waitlist.

The core vaccines are still readily available and we recommend updating these at your dog’s annual veterinary health exam.