Worrying news for pet owners - now some pets are running out of vaccines

Created: 01/18/2022, 16:48

Vaccination and immunization against diseases such as rabies are not only important for cats.

Bad if there is no vaccine.

© picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild |

Patrick Pleul

The bottlenecks in the supply chains are increasingly being felt by consumers.

Now some important vaccines for some pet species are becoming scarce in Germany.

Frankfurt - Problems with supply chains and bottlenecks - the situation is getting worse in some sectors.

Now the vaccine for small animals is also becoming scarce in many veterinary practices.

"There have been bottlenecks again and again since last year," said Astrid Behr, spokeswoman for the Federal Association of Practicing Veterinarians in Frankfurt of the German Press Agency.

"The only thing left for pet owners is to consult their veterinarian and be informed as soon as the vaccine is available again."

Hardly any vaccines are available for rabbits and cats

Even ordinary vaccines for animal species such as cats are currently only available on the German market to a limited extent, according to the manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim. "Unfortunately, this also temporarily affects some of our products," said a spokeswoman. The ability to deliver some of the vaccines is indirectly affected by the global corona pandemic. "The pandemic and the measures we have taken to protect our employees are having an impact on our supply chain." 

Another reason for the shortage is the increased demand for pets during lockdown and the ongoing corona pandemic.

More pets mean more vaccines.

According to the pharmaceutical company, this cannot be fully covered at the moment.

According to information, the ability to deliver the affected cat vaccines has been gradually improved over the past few weeks.

What should cats and rabbits be vaccinated against?

The core vaccines for cats include feline distemper and cat flu.

This vaccination is recommended for both outdoor cats and house tigers.

Further vaccinations such as rabies or leucosis must be decided individually for each cat.

For a rabbit as a pet, the myxomatosis and RHD vaccinations are fundamentally important.

Anyone who has an unvaccinated young animal should contact a veterinarian and discuss it.