Puppy and Kitten Vaccination Schedule Australia

What are core and non-core vaccines?

The WSAVA 2024 vaccination guidelines, written by an international group whose lead author formerly worked at James Cook University, define core vaccines as those that all dogs and cats should receive, after considering their lifestyle and where they live or travel. In every country, that means vaccines against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus and canine parvovirus for dogs, and feline panleukopaenia (parvovirus), feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus for cats.

WSAVA defines non-core vaccines as those that should be highly recommended in animals whose location or lifestyle puts them at risk of particular infections. The Australian Veterinary Association follows the same core and non-core approach and says the protocol should be set between you and your vet, based on the animal's health, age, local disease risk and how long the available vaccines last.

Sources: RSPCA Knowledgebase (dogs), RSPCA Knowledgebase (cats), University of Sydney Vet Hospital, WSAVA 2024. Product names vary; your vet will tell you which combination they use.

RSPCA Australia notes that Australia is free of rabies, so rabies vaccination is not needed unless you take a pet overseas.

What is the puppy vaccination schedule?

Sources: WSAVA 2024 guidelines; RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase, What vaccinations should my dog receive? (updated March 2026); AVA policy. Your vet may adjust timing for your puppy's risk.

As a worked example, a course that starts at 8 weeks with a 4-week interval gives doses at 8, 12 and 16 weeks; the exact weeks depend on when the course starts and the interval your vet uses. The University of Sydney Vet Hospital describes a series of injections from around 6 to 16 weeks, with a visit at around 6 months.

Why the 6-month dose? WSAVA explains that, even when the last puppy dose is at 16 weeks or a little later, a small percentage of puppies may still have had the mother's antibodies blocking it. Revaccinating at or after 26 weeks, rather than waiting until 12 to 16 months, protects those puppies sooner. RSPCA Australia gives the same reason for its 6-month booster, and says your vet may use an antibody test instead.

Older puppies and adult dogs with no history. If you adopt a dog over 26 weeks with an unknown or incomplete record, WSAVA says a single dose of modified-live core vaccine will very likely be enough to immunise it, with a second dose 2 to 4 weeks later considered in high-risk situations. RSPCA Australia says such dogs may need only one core dose, but to ask your vet.

What is the kitten vaccination schedule?

Sources: RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase, What vaccinations should my cat receive? (updated April 2025); WSAVA 2024 guidelines; University of Sydney Vet Hospital, cat vaccinations.

RSPCA Australia says an unvaccinated adult cat, or one with an unknown history, should get two doses 2 to 4 weeks apart, and a cat with an unknown history joining a household should ideally be vaccinated at least a week before it meets the other animals.

On feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), WSAVA now treats the vaccine as core for cats under a year old, and for adult cats that go outdoors or live with cats that do, in places where FeLV is prevalent or remains a concern, and notes that some regions see it only rarely. RSPCA Australia lists it as non-core. Whether your cat needs it depends on where you live and whether it goes outside, so ask your vet.

The University of Sydney Vet Hospital says strictly indoor cats usually need fewer boosters, but it still recommends vaccinating them.

Why so many doses for puppies and kittens?

Because the mother's antibodies get in the way. Puppies and kittens receive antibodies from their mother that protect them early in life, but those same antibodies also neutralise vaccines. WSAVA says maternally derived antibodies interfere substantially with the efficacy of most core vaccines given early in life, and that the level varies a lot within and between litters.

Nobody knows exactly when a particular puppy's or kitten's maternal antibodies will fade, so vets give repeat doses every few weeks to close the “window of susceptibility”, the gap where the mother's protection has worn off but the vaccine has not yet taken. Finishing at 16 weeks or older, then boosting at about 26 weeks, catches the animals whose maternal antibodies lasted longest.

WSAVA also says that where a puppy or kitten can only have one vaccination, for example because of cost, it should be the core vaccines at 16 weeks or older. If money is tight, talk to your vet or a charity clinic rather than skipping the course; our cheap vet care guide lists options by state.

How big a risk is parvovirus in Australia?

Real, and uneven. A University of Sydney-led study, published in 2018 in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases and led by Dr Mark Kelman, surveyed 534 vet clinics and estimated around 20,000 cases of canine parvovirus in Australia each year (20,661 in 2015 and 20,110 in 2016). The overall reported euthanasia rate was 41 per cent.

• Cases were concentrated in rural, remote and lower socioeconomic areas, and within capital cities were more common in outer suburbs.
• The Northern Territory had the highest rate, about twice that of NSW.
• The median cost to treat a case was $1,500 per patient, with a median of $2,500 in Western Australia, the most expensive state.

Those figures are estimates from 2015 and 2016 survey data (534 clinics, a 23.5% response rate), not a current count. The University of Sydney Vet Hospital says parvovirus can spread rapidly, particularly among unvaccinated animals. It is one of the three diseases in the core C3 vaccine.

What about leptospirosis and kennel cough?

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can pass from dogs to people. RSPCA Australia lists the vaccine as non-core, notes that the WSAVA guidelines highly recommend it for dogs in at-risk areas, with access to stagnant water, or in contact with livestock or rodents, and says an adult dog needs two doses to be fully immunised. The University of Sydney Vet Hospital says that in much of Sydney and NSW it is considered a core vaccine and is recommended. At the other end, WSAVA notes that South Australia, which has been studied carefully, shows little to no evidence of canine leptospirosis. That variation is exactly why your local vet should decide.

Kennel cough: RSPCA Australia says canine parainfluenza virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica both contribute to it; vaccines against them are the two extra components of a C5. RSPCA Australia recommends the C5 for dogs that regularly meet other dogs: at parks, day care, puppy preschool or boarding. Non-core vaccines like these are generally given every year. The University of Sydney Vet Hospital notes that unvaccinated dogs may be restricted from boarding or day care, so check a facility's requirements well before you book.

Do adult dogs and cats need yearly vaccinations?

Not always for core vaccines, but a yearly check-up, yes. RSPCA Australia says adult dog core vaccines are given every 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine your vet uses, and that annual health checks are recommended even in years without vaccines. The WSAVA guidelines say that once a puppy has mounted an active immune response to modified-live core vaccines, revaccination need be given no more often than every three years.

The AVA's policy allows triennial core vaccination in adult dogs and cats where the disease risk does not call for more, while noting that local disease levels, upcoming boarding and other factors can make an annual schedule preferable. In short, there is no single right interval for every pet. WSAVA says the annual health check is much more than just a vaccination consultation, and the AVA strongly recommends one even in years without vaccines.

Can a puppy socialise before it is fully vaccinated?

Yes, carefully, and it matters. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase recommends puppy preschool classes and play dates with people and dogs, and says, citing AVA guidance, that properly conducted classes in a clean environment should not pose a risk to a puppy that is not yet fully vaccinated. The RSPCA dog vaccination page lists well-run, reputable puppy classes held indoors and fully vaccinated, healthy pets in their own homes as options, and advises avoiding animals that are not up to date with their vaccinations and public areas such as dog parks until the puppy is fully vaccinated.

What to hold off on until your vet says the course is complete: dog parks, beaches, footpaths and other places where many unknown dogs walk and toilet. Carry the puppy, use a friend's clean backyard, and let it meet calm, vaccinated adult dogs.

Are rescue puppies and kittens vaccinated before adoption?

Usually. The RSPCA Australia Knowledgebase says its adoptable animals have had a veterinary health assessment and behaviour evaluation and have been vaccinated, wormed, microchipped and desexed as appropriate for the species. Many rescues list vaccination among what the adoption fee covers.

There is a good reason shelters vaccinate early. The WSAVA guidelines say every shelter is a high-risk environment for parvovirus and distemper, and that best practice is to vaccinate all animals with core vaccines at admission, because even a one-day delay raises the risk of disease spreading.

What this means for you as an adopter:

• Ask for the record. Which vaccines, on what dates, and when the next is due.
• Expect to finish the course. A puppy or kitten adopted at 8 to 12 weeks has usually had only its first doses. Its 16-week and 6-month doses will be your job and your cost.
• Book a vet check in the first week or two. Bring the vaccination card and adoption paperwork.
• An adult with an unknown history may need only one core dose to be protected (WSAVA, RSPCA); your vet will advise.

Our guides to adopting a dog and adopting a cat list what rescue fees include in each state.

How much do vaccinations cost in Australia?

Vets set their own fees, and the price usually includes a consult. These are prices published by charity and shelter-run clinics, which are open to any owner:

Prices as published on each clinic's own fee page, checked 10 November 2026; AWLQ figures from its 2026 schedule of services (PDF, February 2026 update). Reference only, not a quote: prices change, and private clinics set their own fees. Ring your vet for a current price.

A full puppy course is several visits, so budget for the course and the 6-month dose, not just one injection. Our dog cost calculator puts vaccinations into a first-year budget, and the cheap vet care guide covers concession and charity options.

Is vaccination safe?

RSPCA Australia describes core vaccines as very safe, with a low rate of adverse reactions, and says vets should check a dog's health before vaccinating. The AVA says vaccination is generally considered very safe and that most adverse reactions are transient and self-limiting, but notes that a small percentage of vaccinated animals do not keep protective antibody levels, which is one more reason to complete the course on time. If your pet seems unwell after a vaccination, call your vet.

Other Australian pet health and safety guides

• Paralysis ticks in dogs and cats
• Snake bite in dogs
• Cane toads and dogs
• Dog bloat (GDV)
• Dachshund IVDD and health
• Dog dental care
• Crate training a puppy
• Dog separation anxiety

Find a puppy or kitten near you

Each page lists the animals currently with the rescues we aggregate in that city, refreshed regularly. Ask each rescue which vaccines the animal has had and when the next is due.

• Puppies in Sydney
• Kittens in Sydney
• Puppies in Melbourne
• Kittens in Melbourne
• Puppies in Brisbane
• Kittens in Brisbane
• Puppies in Perth
• Kittens in Perth
• Puppies in Adelaide
• Kittens in Adelaide