What is core vaccines?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Core vaccines are the vaccines every dog or cat should have, wherever it lives, because they protect against widespread, serious diseases. For dogs they cover distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus; for cats, panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. In India rabies is core for both, and WSAVA also treats leptospirosis vaccine as core for dogs where the disease is endemic.
Also called core vaccine, essential vaccines, core shots.
Key facts
- WSAVA defines core vaccines as those ALL dogs and cats should receive, after considering lifestyle and where they live or travel. WSAVAstudy
- Core for dogs everywhere: canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus and canine parvovirus. WSAVAstudy
- Core for cats everywhere: feline panleukopenia virus, calicivirus and herpesvirus. WSAVAstudy
- Rabies vaccine is core for dogs and cats in every country or region where rabies is endemic, as it is across most of India. WSAVAstudy
- Leptospirosis vaccine is core for dogs where the disease occurs, the types causing it are known and suitable vaccines exist. WSAVAstudy
- Core vaccines should not be given more often than necessary; modern modified-live core vaccines protect for many years. WSAVAstudy
Which vaccines are core for dogs and cats in India?
WSAVA's 2024 guidelines set the global list; local disease decides the rest.
| Dogs | Cats | |
|---|---|---|
| Core in every country WSAVAstudy | Distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus: DHPP or DHPPi on the card | Panleukopenia, herpesvirus, calicivirus: FVRCP or a brand such as Tricat |
| Core where rabies is endemic (India) WSAVAstudy | Rabies | Rabies |
| Core where conditions are met WSAVAstudy | Leptospirosis, where it occurs, the types are known and a suitable vaccine exists | FeLV, where it is common, for cats under 1 year and outdoor adults |
Rabies is endemic in every Indian state and union territory except the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
Why are rabies and leptospirosis treated as core in India?
Rabies kills almost everyone who develops symptoms, and dogs cause up to 99% of human cases, according to the World Health Organization. WSAVA therefore calls rabies vaccine core for dogs and cats wherever the disease is endemic, which in India means everywhere except the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep. City dog licences usually ask for a rabies certificate as well.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease spread in the urine of rats and other animals, which rises in the monsoon and can pass to people. WSAVA moved it from non-core to core where three conditions are met. In India the disease-causing types have not been firmly established, but ACVIM advises yearly vaccination for all dogs and the Health Ministry's 2026 monsoon advisory asks owners to consider it.
How are core vaccines different from non-core ones?
Core vaccines protect against diseases that are widespread, severe or deadly, so every animal benefits. Non-core vaccines are recommended only for animals whose location or lifestyle puts them at risk of a particular infection, for example kennel cough vaccine for a dog that boards or goes to day care. A third group, not recommended, covers vaccines WSAVA finds too little evidence for, such as canine coronavirus vaccine.
An indoor cat or a dog that never boards still needs its core vaccines. Panleukopenia and parvovirus last for months in the environment and travel on objects, and rabies can reach any home through a bite.
How often are core vaccines given?
Puppies and kittens get a series of doses from 6 to 8 weeks until 16 weeks or older, then a booster at about 26 weeks. After that, WSAVA and AAHA say the core viral vaccines need repeating no more often than every 3 years, while ICAR-IVRI lists yearly boosters. Rabies follows local law and the product leaflet, and leptospirosis is yearly. Your vet sets the schedule.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
What are the core vaccines for dogs in India?
- Distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis) and parvovirus, usually given as DHPPi, plus rabies, which is core because rabies is endemic in India. WSAVA also treats leptospirosis vaccine as core where the disease occurs and a suitable vaccine exists, and many cards show it as DHPPiL.
What are the core vaccines for cats?
- Feline panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus, usually given together as FVRCP or under a brand name such as Tricat, plus rabies in rabies-endemic countries such as India. WSAVA also calls FeLV core where FeLV is common, for kittens and for adult cats that go outdoors.
Does an indoor pet need core vaccines?
- Yes. WSAVA says all dogs and cats should get core vaccines. Viruses such as parvovirus and panleukopenia survive for months in the environment and can be carried in on objects, and rabies can reach a pet through a single bite. An indoor pet may need boosters less often.
Is the kennel cough vaccine a core vaccine?
- No. WSAVA lists Bordetella and parainfluenza vaccines as non-core: recommended for dogs whose lifestyle puts them at risk, such as dogs that board, go to day care or meet many other dogs. Many boarding sitters ask for it, so check before a stay.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in vaccines and parasites
- BabesiosisBabesiosis is a disease of dogs caused by Babesia, tiny parasites that live in and destroy red blood cells. It is spread mainly by ticks, and in India one species, Babesia gibsoni, also spreads through dog fights and blood transfusions. Signs are anaemia with pale gums, weakness, jaundice and red or brown urine. Dogs that recover can relapse.
- Booster vaccineA booster is a repeat dose of a vaccine that tops up or confirms a pet's protection. Puppies and kittens get a booster at about 26 weeks after their first course. After that, modern core vaccines for distemper, parvovirus and panleukopenia protect for years, while leptospirosis, kennel cough and most killed vaccines need a booster every year.
- Brown dog tickThe brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the most common tick on dogs in the tropics, including India. Unlike most ticks it lives and breeds indoors, in homes and kennels, as well as outdoors. It spreads ehrlichiosis and one form of babesiosis, the infections Indian owners call tick fever, so tick control is needed all year.
- DewormingDeworming is giving a pet medicine, chosen by your vet, to kill intestinal worms such as roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Puppies can be born with roundworms and catch more from their mother's milk, so deworming starts in the first weeks of life. Some dog and cat worms can infect people, especially children, so regular deworming protects the family too.
- DHPPi vaccineDHPPi is the combined core vaccine for dogs printed on many Indian vaccine cards. The letters stand for distemper (D), hepatitis from canine adenovirus (H), parvovirus (P) and parainfluenza (Pi). DHPPiL adds leptospirosis (L). It is the same vaccine group that US cards call DHPP or DA2PP, and puppies start it at 6 to 8 weeks.
- EhrlichiosisEhrlichiosis is a disease of dogs caused by Ehrlichia canis, a bacterium carried by the brown dog tick. Signs appear 1 to 3 weeks after infection: fever, dullness, bleeding such as nosebleeds or bruising, and enlarged lymph nodes. Some dogs seem to recover but carry the infection silently and later develop a severe chronic form.
- Flea and tick preventionFlea and tick prevention means regularly protecting a pet from these parasites with a product your vet recommends, plus checking the coat and treating the home. Tropical guidelines say dogs and cats in places like India should be protected all year, including indoor pets. Use products licensed for the species, and never put a dog product on a cat.
- FleasFleas are small, wingless, blood-feeding insects. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the most common flea on dogs and cats worldwide, and the main flea on dogs studied in India. Fleas cause itching, flea allergy, tapeworm and, in heavy infestations, anaemia in puppies and kittens. Most of the flea life cycle happens in the home.
- FVRCP vaccineFVRCP is the core combined vaccine for cats. It protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), calicivirus and panleukopenia. Indian cards often show a brand name from the vial sticker instead, such as Tricat. Kittens start at 6 to 8 weeks, with doses every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks or older, then a booster at about 26 weeks.
- HeartwormHeartworm, Dirofilaria immitis, is a long worm that lives in the heart and lung blood vessels of dogs and, less often, cats. It is spread by mosquito bites and is widespread in tropical regions, including parts of India. Signs include coughing, tiring on exercise and weight loss. It can be prevented, and dogs should be tested yearly.
Keep exploring
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- WSAVA: 2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats: executive summary (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: Core and non-core vaccines for pet dogs (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: Core and non-core vaccines for pet cats (opens in a new tab)
- ICAR-IVRI: Vaccination of dogs and cats (Hindi leaflet, 2020) (opens in a new tab)
- World Health Organization: Rabies: fact sheet (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: Pre-monsoon leptospirosis advisory (23 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Show all 11 sourcesShow fewer
- WSAVA: 2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats (WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group, Journal of Small Animal Practice) (opens in a new tab)
- AAHA (JAAHA): 2022 AAHA canine vaccination guidelines (opens in a new tab)
- AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2020): 2020 AAHA/AAFP feline vaccination guidelines (opens in a new tab)
- Indian Journal of Public Health (2019): Assessing rabies-free status of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands (abstract read) (opens in a new tab)
- ACVIM (Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 2023): Updated ACVIM consensus statement on leptospirosis in dogs (opens in a new tab)