Vaccine Shortage

Hi all, would really appreciate some advice... My cat last had his outdoor cat vaccine in March 2021, I thought it was August so when I called in early September he was already overdue and was told there was a cat vaccine shortage and was told it would likely be October. Called back the other day and still no vaccines but the nurse said that his 2021 round included FELV which lasts two years and is the important one for outdoor cats. Then suggested that we could get him covered for the rest with an indoor cat vaccine but it would mean starting the course again (2 doses a few weeks apart) and that I'd have to pay an additional fee for it even though we pay for the monthly pet plan which is meant to include annual shots... If it was you, would you: A) Pay for the additional course of indoor cat vaccines (also means his vaccines would be at different times in the year) B) Ask for the indoor cat vaccines but put foot down about not paying for it - we pay for the vaccines on a monthly plan and it's not my fault there's a shortage, it's part of the package that my cat gets his annual shots? C) Wait for the full outdoor cat vaccine - he'll probably be fine D) Other - thoughts appreciated!

Hello - and purely from a customer service point of view, not from a veterinary perspective, because I don't think that you need to be a vet in order to answer this question.  If I had paid in advance, or via a complicated monthly payment plan, for a coat and was then told that the coat could not actually be delivered, I would not expect to pay the company extra money to sell me another coat, unless they first refunded what I had paid towards the first one.  I would be on the telephone having strong words to the manager to that effect.

If your vet cannot provide a vaccine that you are due and says that it will be ok, then ask them to record this in the clinical notes (and read it to check that that is what they have written).  If they are happy to stand by this in the clinical notes, then it will be, to the best of their scientific belief, true.  If they say that there is some risk involved and that you should probably get some other vaccine, then there is probably some risk involved as you should probably get some other vaccine.  If your vet will not risk their career saying it, then it is probably not something to risk your cats' life over.  The question of who should pay for that vaccine is a separate issue.

I realize that my previous entries are potentially ambiguous, so to remove all doubt:  If a vet cannot provide a vaccine that you are due or overdue but says that it will be ok / safe to wait for the vaccine to become available, then get that assurance in writing, either on the clinical notes on the computer (which cannot be changed) or clearly, in pen and ink.   If they are not prepared to risk their career in that way, then I would not be prepared to risk your cats' vaccination status in that way either and would recommend an alternative vaccination course.  It is, of course, a separate question as to who should pay for that vaccine course.  As for the question of payment, I have given a very simplistic interpretation above, in my first entry (in general if something has been paid for, it should be delivered), but realize that there are some aspects of receiving vaccinations and contracts and timings that often make things less clear-cut - please note that I know nothing about your circumstances and cannot give you legal / payment advice.

Thank you Liz, much appreciated. The coat analogy was helpful and sums up how I feel exactly. I will certainly ask more questions and see what comes back. Thank you.

Hi my cat really likes being outside but my cats haven’t been vaccinated I was just woundering how much they would be