What are core vs non-core vaccines?
Core vaccines are those recommended for all dogs and cats by AAHA and AVMA guidelines due to disease severity or transmission risk, while non-core vaccines are given selectively based on an individual pet's lifestyle, geography, and exposure risk.
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) divide vaccines into two categories based on how widely they should be used. Core vaccines protect against diseases that pose serious risk to most or all pets, regardless of lifestyle. For dogs, these include rabies, distemper, and parvovirus. For cats, core vaccines cover rabies, feline panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus, and feline calicivirus. Every pet should receive these vaccines as part of routine preventive care.
Non-core vaccines address diseases that primarily affect animals with specific risk factors. A dog spending time at boarding facilities or dog parks may benefit from bordetella (kennel cough) and leptospirosis vaccines, while a pet that stays home may not. Cats with outdoor access face different risks than indoor-only cats, influencing decisions about feline leukemia virus (FeLV) vaccination. Geographic location matters too: leptospirosis is more common in some regions than others, and Lyme disease risk varies by area.
Your veterinarian uses this framework to build a personalized vaccination plan that protects your pet without unnecessary vaccines. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the core/non-core distinction allows veterinarians to tailor recommendations based on your pet's actual risk exposure. A veterinarian at a Denver clinic can help you understand which vaccines your specific dog or cat needs based on local disease patterns and your pet's activities.