Rabbit Vaccination: RHDV2 and Myxomatosis Vaccines, Schedule and Boosters

In the United States, the one routine vaccine for pet rabbits protects against rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus type 2 (RHDV2): the Merck Veterinary Manual describes two doses 3 weeks apart followed by yearly boosters as the usual schedule. The US manufacturer’s FAQ gives a six-month label booster; your vet sets the interval for your rabbit, as explained below. There is no myxomatosis vaccine in the US. In the UK, rabbits are vaccinated against myxomatosis and both types of rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (RVHD1 and RVHD2), starting at around 5 weeks old with a yearly booster, and the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund now advises a second, separate vaccine as well. Your veterinarian sets your rabbit’s actual schedule, based on its age, health, where you live, and which vaccines are available to them.

The US vaccine is given through veterinarians, and the dates matter: the initial doses are 3 weeks apart, and later booster dates come from your veterinarian. If you want one place to keep them, you can create a free profile for your rabbit on Creatures and log each dose as a vaccination record; the follow-up date you enter becomes a reminder for the next one, as explained in health and medical records. The rest of this guide covers what each vaccine protects against, what the schedule looks like in the US and the UK, and how breeders handle a whole rabbitry.

Which vaccines a rabbit needs depends on where it lives

Rabbits are not offered a long list of shots the way puppies and kittens are. The two diseases that matter are rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD, called RVHD in the UK) and myxomatosis, and which vaccines exist for them depends on the country.

• United States. The routine vaccine is for RHDV2. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says its Center for Veterinary Biologics has issued a conditional license for a domestically produced RHDV2 vaccine, and that it has since stopped allowing imported RHD vaccines. Myxomatosis vaccine is not available in the US, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual’s chapter on viral diseases of rabbits.
• United Kingdom. The PDSA’s rabbit vaccination guide (published March 2026) says pet rabbits need protection against three diseases: myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD2. One option is a combined vaccine covering all three; the other is a separate RVHD2 vaccine, and when both are used they are given two weeks apart.
• Elsewhere. Merck notes that vaccines against RHDV1 and RHDV2 are available in several countries. Products, ages and intervals differ, so a rabbit outside the US and UK should follow the schedule a local veterinarian recommends.

Breed makes no difference to the list. A pet Holland Lop, a show New Zealand and a wool rabbit such as the Giant Angora face the same viruses, and the Creatures rabbit page covers every breed if you are still choosing one.

RHDV2: the disease the US vaccine protects against

APHIS describes rabbit hemorrhagic disease as a highly infectious viral hepatitis that kills 50 to 100 percent of the rabbits it infects. There are two main forms. Classical RHDV (RHDV1) mainly affects domestic rabbits, while RHDV2 affects domestic, wild and feral rabbits and hares. It does not infect people or other animals.

A few facts explain why vets now treat the RHDV2 vaccine as routine:

• It arrived recently and spread widely. APHIS reports the first US detection in a pet rabbit in Ohio in September 2018, the first wild rabbit case in New Mexico in March 2020, and spread to numerous states since, in wild rabbits as well as pets.
• It moves on things, not just rabbits. According to APHIS, the virus spreads through contact with an infected rabbit’s excretions, blood, meat or fur, and through contaminated food, water, bedding and equipment, insects, and people’s clothing, shoes and hands. The PDSA’s rabbit haemorrhagic disease page adds that it can survive in the environment for months.
• It often looks like sudden death. APHIS lists sudden death within 1 to 3 days, nosebleeds, convulsions, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, difficulty breathing and loss of coordination. Merck notes that RHDV2 frequently shows even fewer signs than RHDV1, often just sudden death, and that rabbits are contagious during an incubation period of about 3 to 9 days.
• Young kits are not spared. The World Organisation for Animal Health notes that the classical virus usually causes no illness in rabbits younger than 4 to 6 weeks, but RHDV2 causes illness and death in kits from 7 to 15 days old onward.
• It is reportable. APHIS says all cases of RHD must be reported to federal and state animal health officials. If a rabbit dies suddenly or you suspect RHD, call your veterinarian now and keep the rest of your rabbits separated until you have advice. Do not move rabbits, hay or equipment in or out in the meantime.

There is no cure. The PDSA states plainly that the chances of survival are slim once a rabbit has RHD, which is why prevention, vaccine plus biosecurity, is the whole plan.

The US RHDV2 vaccine schedule

For a healthy US pet rabbit, the pattern is short:

1. First dose, at an age your veterinarian confirms is allowed for the product they use.
2. Second dose 21 days later. The California Department of Food and Agriculture describes the US vaccine as a killed recombinant vaccine authorized as a two-dose initial series, with the second dose 21 days after the first.
3. Later boosters on the dates your veterinarian prescribes. Merck describes annual boosters as usual. The US manufacturer’s FAQ, undated and checked October 29, 2026, addresses a booster at 6 months on the product label and says the duration-of-immunity study does not change that label. Ask your vet to explain the interval they recommend for your rabbit’s circumstances.

Two things about this schedule trip owners up. First, one dose is not the series: a rabbit that gets dose one and misses dose two is not protected the way the study rabbits were. If the second visit slips, call your vet and ask whether to continue or restart rather than guessing. Second, protection takes time to build, so keep a newly vaccinated rabbit away from new rabbits, shows and swaps until your vet says the series is complete.

One part of the evidence vets consider is a 2024 challenge study in the journal Viruses by Colorado State University researchers and the vaccine’s manufacturer, which funded the work. Rabbits about 7 weeks old received two doses 21 days apart. When exposed to RHDV2 six months later, all the vaccinated rabbits survived while 18 of 19 unvaccinated rabbits died, and a separate group was followed with antibody tests for 12 months. The researchers interpreted those antibody findings as supporting annual boosting; they did not challenge that group at 12 months. The study does not replace the product label or your vet’s instructions.

How the US vaccine got here. The vaccine is made by a US company in South Dakota. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture explains that USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics granted it an emergency use authorization in the fall of 2021. A Center for Veterinary Biologics notice dated January 2024 then announced a conditional license, which the agency issues when a product has shown it is pure and safe with a reasonable expectation of efficacy, to meet a special circumstance such as this disease. California’s state veterinarians describe it as still offered under that conditional license as of their February 2025 update. You may still read older pages, including the 2024 professional chapter of the Merck manual, saying no RHDV2 vaccine is approved in the US; the current APHIS page describes the conditional license, and Merck’s owner guidance, updated in 2026, recommends the vaccine for US pet rabbits.

Not every clinic keeps the vaccine on hand, so ask when you book. If you do not yet have a rabbit-savvy vet, our guide to finding a rabbit vet before you need one explains what to look for.

Myxomatosis: why US rabbits are not vaccinated for it

Myxomatosis is a poxvirus disease that Merck calls fatal in all breeds of domestic rabbit. It is spread by mosquitoes, fleas, biting flies and direct contact, and it causes swelling of the eyelids, face, ears and genitals. Merck reports losses of 25 to 90 percent in affected rabbitries.

In the US, Merck says myxomatosis is largely restricted to the coastal areas of California and Oregon, and the vaccine is not available here. That leaves insect control and keeping pet rabbits away from wild ones as the only tools, so if you live in those areas, ask your vet what they see locally.

In the UK, where the disease is common in wild rabbits, myxomatosis is part of the routine vaccine.

The UK rabbit vaccination schedule

UK owners usually see this pattern, per the PDSA:

• First vaccination at around 5 weeks old.
• Coverage for myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD2, either from one combined vaccine or from the combined vaccine plus a separate RVHD2 vaccine given two weeks apart.
• A yearly booster to stay protected.

There is a newer layer. In its current vaccine FAQ, the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund says “highly virulent” strains of RVHD2 have been found in continental Europe and recommends that UK rabbits now have two vaccines each year: the existing combined vaccine plus a newer one that covers the highly virulent strains, given at least 2 weeks apart. The charity notes that these strains have not been confirmed in the UK, but only because nobody is actively testing for them, and that no commercial test currently tells the strains apart. Its RVHD2 page suggests spacing the two vaccines about 6 months apart where possible, so the rabbit also gets a health check twice a year. The PDSA guide, published earlier in 2026, does not yet mention the highly virulent strains, so ask your vet which approach they recommend.

Indoor rabbits still need the vaccine

“My rabbit lives inside” is the most common reason owners skip the vaccine, and the sources above answer it directly. The PDSA recommends vaccinating indoor and outdoor rabbits alike, because myxomatosis and both forms of RVHD can spread through insects such as mosquitoes and fleas, through wild rabbits, and on surfaces such as clothes and shoes. APHIS lists contaminated food, bedding and equipment and people’s hands among the routes for RHD. Hay is a particular concern: the California Department of Food and Agriculture advises against feeding hay grown or stored outdoors in areas where wild rabbits are affected.

Merck’s owner guidance adds that vaccination is especially important for rabbits with outdoor access or contact with other pet rabbits, which covers garden time, play dates, boarding, shows and a new rabbit joining the household. An indoor setup like the one in our rabbit housing guide lowers the risk; it does not remove it.

Biosecurity that works alongside the vaccine

Vaccination does the most work, but these habits, drawn from APHIS, the PDSA and California’s state veterinarians, close the gaps:

• Keep pet rabbits away from wild rabbits and hares, including grass and garden areas they visit.
• Quarantine new rabbits. The PDSA suggests keeping a new rabbit separate for at least three weeks. Apparently healthy rabbits can spread RHD, California’s veterinarians warn, so a rabbit that looks fine is not proof.
• Wash hands and change shoes or clothes after handling other people’s rabbits, visiting a show, or walking where wild rabbits live.
• Buy hay and bedding with care in areas with RHD in wild rabbits, and store it where wild rabbits cannot reach it.
• Control insects, including fleas on the household’s cats and dogs, which the PDSA says can carry RHD.
• Know who to call. RHD is reportable, so a sudden unexplained death goes to your vet straight away, and they will involve state or federal animal health officials.

Side effects, and when to call a vet

Most rabbits are fine after vaccination. The PDSA describes side effects as uncommon and short-lived, typically mild lethargy, a reduced appetite, and a small round swelling at the injection site. In the US challenge study, no adverse effects were reported in the vaccinated rabbits.

A rabbit’s appetite is the thing to watch. Rabbits that stop eating can develop gut stasis quickly, so do not wait it out: call your veterinarian now if your rabbit stops eating or stops passing droppings after a vaccine, or at any time, or if it has trouble breathing, swelling of the face, or collapses. Our guide to GI stasis in rabbits explains why hours count, and the rabbit illnesses guide covers other warning signs. Tell your vet before the visit if your rabbit is unwell, pregnant, or on any medication, since they may decide to postpone the vaccine.

For breeders and exhibitors: vaccinating a rabbitry

In a rabbitry, one infected rabbit can mean losing the herd, and RHDV2 reaches kits in the nest. Ask your vet to plan the herd’s vaccination before it becomes urgent, ideally at a quiet time rather than the week of a show.

A workable rabbitry plan usually covers:

• Adults on the vet’s schedule. Bring breeding does and bucks up to date and record the booster dates your veterinarian prescribes. Ask your vet about timing around pregnancy; if you are breeding, the rabbit gestation calculator gives you a due date to plan around, and our rabbit breeding guide covers pairing and kindling.
• Kits before they leave. Ask your vet at what age they will start the litter’s series with the product they use. A kit going home before its second dose is partway through the series, so tell buyers exactly which dose was given, on what date, and when the next one is due. Our guide to caring for baby rabbits covers weaning and handling at that age.
• An individual record per rabbit, with the vaccine name and date of each dose and the vet’s certificate. A buyer’s vet needs that to continue the series without restarting, and a record written only on a cage card is easily lost.
• Show and swap discipline. Shows and swaps are where rabbits from many herds meet. Keep the vaccination certificate with the rabbit’s papers in case an event, a boarding facility or a buyer asks for it, and quarantine rabbits returning from an event the same way you would a new arrival. Our rabbit shows guide explains how ARBA shows work.

Buyers can use the same list in reverse. Our guide on where to buy a rabbit suggests asking for health paperwork before you commit, and a dated vaccine record is part of that.

Keep your rabbit’s vaccination record on Creatures

RHDV2 vaccination produces exactly the kind of dates people lose: a second dose 3 weeks after the first, then the booster dates prescribed for each rabbit. Creatures gives each rabbit a free profile with a Records tab, and Vaccination is one of the record types offered first for rabbits. This is what doing it looks like:

1. Add your rabbit. Create a free profile with its name, date of birth, breed and a photo. You can start without an account and sign up as you save. The steps are in adding an animal to Creatures.
2. Log each dose as a Vaccination record. Open the rabbit’s Records tab and add a record. A vaccination record needs the vaccine name and the date administered; copy both from your vet’s invoice or certificate, and attach the certificate itself.
3. Enter the follow-up date your vet gives you. On a vaccination record, a follow-up date creates a linked reminder when you save, so the second dose and later boosters show up in the rabbit’s upcoming care on the dates your vet gave you. You can also set up repeating reminders yourself. How this works is covered in reminders and upcoming care.
4. Decide what is public. Vaccination records are public by default and can be switched to private; reminders are private planning items.

What you get back is a dated record of every dose with the paperwork attached and a reminder for every booster. Where Download packet is offered on the Records tab, you can save the history as a PDF for a new vet, a pet sitter or a buyer. Our rabbit health record template shows what else is worth tracking alongside vaccines.

Breeders get two shortcuts. After you record the birth and create a litter, you can apply one record to a whole group, which writes an individual vaccination record to each rabbit’s profile in one step. And when a rabbit goes to its new home, you can transfer it to the new owner with its profile, records and history, so the buyer sees which doses are done and when the next is due. If you sell pedigreed stock, the free rabbit pedigree chart maker produces a pedigree to send home with the vaccine record.

You can start the profile as a guest; saving records and reminders needs a free account.

Frequently asked questions

Do rabbits need vaccines?
Yes, where vaccines exist for the diseases in their area. In the US that means the RHDV2 vaccine; Merck calls it the one routine vaccine recommended for pet rabbits. In the UK it means myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD2 cover, plus the second vaccine the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund now recommends.

How often do rabbits need the RHDV2 vaccine?
In the US, the initial series has two doses 3 weeks apart. Merck describes annual boosters as usual, while the manufacturer’s FAQ gives a six-month label booster and says the study does not change that label. Follow the actual booster date your veterinarian prescribes, and ask them before changing it.

Is the RHDV2 vaccine approved in the US?
It holds a USDA conditional license, announced in a Center for Veterinary Biologics notice dated January 2024, after an emergency use authorization in 2021. A conditional license means the product has been shown to be pure and safe with a reasonable expectation of efficacy. It is given through veterinarians.

Is there a myxomatosis vaccine in the US?
No. Merck reports that it is not available in the US, where the disease is largely limited to coastal California and Oregon.

At what age can a rabbit be vaccinated?
In the UK, the PDSA says the first vaccination is at around 5 weeks old. In the US, the minimum age depends on the product label, so ask your vet; the published US challenge study vaccinated rabbits at about 7 weeks old.

Does an indoor rabbit need to be vaccinated?
Yes. The viruses spread on clothing, shoes, hands, hay, equipment and insects, and the PDSA recommends vaccinating indoor rabbits too.

Can people or dogs catch RHD?
No. APHIS states that RHD infects rabbits and hares but not people or other animals, although people, pets and insects can carry the virus from place to place.

What if my rabbit’s second dose is late?
Call your vet and ask whether to give it now or restart the series. Until the series is finished, keep the rabbit away from other rabbits and places where rabbits gather.

Do this next on Creatures

Whether you have a single house rabbit, are about to bring one home, or run a rabbitry, Creatures keeps the records, the reminders and the people in one place.