Is it OK to vaccinate early?

[Tiggy's Mum]

  Lynn - I am having them done early, you just reminded me to book the appointment!

[CurlyCatz]

Helen it would have been perfectly fine to have had them done early (and its also ok if they are up to a month late aswell)

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

It has been a while since we had some pics of the boys!  You're slacking, Helen.. 

[Kittybabe (Ruth)]

No new pics? You're as bad as Sam!!!

[Tiggy's Mum]

Well I rang the little branch that I took Tiggy to all the time and they have said it's absolutely fine so will get them done early to stop me getting worried about any insurance issues.  I'm sure they're a picture of health but it's just my luck that the vet would pick up on something that then wouldn't be insured!

The boys are fine thanks Swampmaxmum, no new pics I'm afraid - I told you I was a rubbish cat Mum 

[swampmaxmum]

I've had my lads done early in the past by a month or two when they were younger and there were no problems.  If you're really worried, have you tried contacting the vaccine manufacturers (your vet will probably be tied into one or the other of them) to ask if they consider it safe? I emailed Merial about their rabies vaccine and the woman who answered was great, v helpful. Are you talking about the cat flu vaccine or the 'nastier' ones (leuk etc?).
Alternatively you could just start the AXA insurance now and wait a month or two longer to vaccinate the boys? As indoor cats there shouldn't be any worries doing it like that surely? Unless you are doing passport vaccinations of course in which case they have to be done before the expiry date or else DEFRA freak out.
How are they - are we getting more photos soon? (of them begging to be fed by their mum  ).

[Leanne]

I got my dates muddled with Jess last year and he was vaccinated 8 weeks before he was due and the vet said it was fine and wouldn't harm him!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

If they are due for their vaccinations 24th May then I'd say they could easily wait until towards the end of June (but you'd need to check with your vet re that as it does vary from vet to vet.  I know that would be fine at my vets).  If your insurance with M&S expires mid April then you'll be covered by Axa from end of April?  So it would be nearly 2 months until they went for their vaccinations.  Can't see how anything found then at a routine vaccination/health check could be considered pre existing by Axa.  It's not even like you would be taking them because of specific symptoms that they could have had for a while.

[Tiggy's Mum]

I don't want to be late Susanne, they'd actually need to be done early as if they have something that quite obviously hasn't developed overnight then the 'new' Axa policy wouldn't cover it but the existing M&S one would as they've been covered since they were babies.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

You're usually fine for a few weeks after they're due (I tend to always be about a month late on purpose) so I would wait for the Axa insurance to become valid and take them then.

[Ela]

I would agree that it would be fine. When we have a cat in that we have been told has been injected a few months earlier but we  cannot find proof, our vet will inject them again just to be on the safe side.

[Tiggy's Mum]

  Lottie- maybe the receptionist didn't really know but just said what she presumed was right, I might try ringing my little branch to see if I get the same answer!

[Team Svartalfheims]

Yes it was a UK vet that did them early and knew that they were being done early (her passport and vaccination book have all the vaccination dates in them)

[Tiggy's Mum]

Hmmn, I just rang them - they are due 24th May and the receptionist said it shouldn't be done more than a month early which is 24th April and the insurance runs out 15th April.  My well hatched plan has gone to ruin 

Lottie - Was it a UK vet that did them early, I guess the first lot were done in France.  If it was the UK vet did they know she was being done early?

[Team Svartalfheims]

Boopy had her boosters almost 3 months early last year with no problems

[Dawn F]

my vet send out the reminders about a month in advance so I assume they really don't mind if you are early

[Maddiesmum]

I don;t think it will matter to be honest.  We didn't know whether or not Charlie had been vaccinated and the vet said it was ok so he could have been done twice!

[Tiggy's Mum]

The boys are due to their booster vaccinations at the beginning of May, I'm going to be ditching M&S (good riddance to bad rubbish!) and taking out Axa insurance which will obviously exclude pre-existing conditions.  I would imagine that if anything is picked up at the examination when they are being vaccinated it would be treated as pre-existing (ie gingivitis or something similar that doesn't just appear overnight).

Does anyone know if it's OK to vaccinate them 2 or 3 weeks early (whilst still covered by M&S) then if there are any problems discovered I'll still be covered and I'll know not to switch?  The insurance runs out mid April, I presume the jabs are due at the beginning of May as that's when they had the first injection with the 2nd part a few weeks later.