Rabbit Vaccinations UK: RHDV and Myxomatosis Explained

Vaccination is not optional for rabbits in the way many owners assume. The three diseases it prevents are almost always fatal, spread easily, and reach house rabbits too. The good news is that keeping a UK rabbit protected is now simpler than it has ever been: for most rabbits it is one injection, once a year.

This explains exactly what your rabbit needs, when, and why, using current guidance from UK vets and welfare charities. If you have just got a rabbit, or your booster has lapsed, start here.

The three diseases you're vaccinating against

Rabbit vaccination in the UK protects against three specific viral diseases. All three are widespread, all three kill, and there is no reliable cure once a rabbit is infected. Prevention is the whole game.

Myxomatosis

Myxomatosis ("myxo") is caused by the myxoma virus. The RSPCA describes it as often fatal, typically killing a rabbit within 10 to 14 days. Early signs are puffy swellings around the eyes, ears, nose and genitals, which can cause blindness and make eating and drinking difficult, followed by fever. It is a distressing way for a rabbit to die.

It spreads mainly through biting insects, fleas, mites and mosquitoes, which is precisely why indoor rabbits are not safe. A mosquito does not care whether your rabbit lives in a hutch or your living room.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHDV1)

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease, also written R(V)HD or RHD, is caused by a calicivirus. It attacks the internal organs and causes fever, internal bleeding and liver damage. The RSPCA notes it is almost always fatal. Often the first and only sign an owner sees is a rabbit that has died suddenly, sometimes with a little blood at the nose.

RHDV2 (the newer strain)

RHDV2 is a separate, newer variant of rabbit haemorrhagic disease that has been circulating in the UK since around 2013. It behaves slightly differently from the classic strain, can affect very young rabbits, and, like the original, frequently shows no symptoms at all before sudden death. Crucially, the older RHD vaccines did not reliably protect against it, which is why the vaccine picture changed a few years ago.

Rabbit haemorrhagic disease is extraordinarily hardy. The virus can survive for months in the environment and travels on shoes, clothing, hay, bedding and hands. You can bring it home to an indoor rabbit without ever seeing a wild one.

How UK rabbits are vaccinated now

For years, protecting a rabbit meant juggling separate vaccines and appointments. That has been simplified.

One combined vaccine: Nobivac Myxo-RHD PLUS

Since 2020 the UK has had a single combined vaccine, Nobivac Myxo-RHD PLUS (made by MSD Animal Health), that covers all three diseases in one injection. It protects against myxomatosis, RHDV1 and RHDV2 together. A peer-reviewed study of the vaccine confirmed that a single 0.5ml dose gives protection from three weeks up to 12 months after vaccination, from five weeks of age onwards.

In practice, this is what most pet rabbits in the UK now receive: one jab, one appointment, once a year.

When a separate RHDV2 vaccine is still used

Some vets still use the older approach, or add a separate RHDV2 vaccine on top, particularly for rabbits at higher risk or in areas that have seen outbreaks. In that model a combined myxomatosis and RHDV1 vaccine is given, then a separate RHDV2 vaccine, usually a couple of weeks apart. The Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund has noted that offering an additional RHDV2 vaccine can be sensible for larger groups of rabbits at higher risk.

The practical takeaway: your vet decides the exact protocol based on your rabbit and your area. Do not try to self-select or import vaccines. Prior vaccination with certain standalone myxomatosis products can actually interfere with later protection, so this is genuinely one to leave to the professionals.

The vaccination schedule at a glance

| Stage | What happens | Typical timing | | --- | --- | --- | | First vaccination | Combined jab (or the split protocol your vet uses) | From 5 weeks of age | | Annual booster | Repeat vaccination to maintain immunity | Every 12 months, lifelong | | High-risk areas | Vet may add or adjust an RHDV2 vaccine | On veterinary advice |

The single most important line in that table is the annual booster. Immunity from the combined vaccine lasts about a year, so protection lapses if you skip a year. Put the renewal date in your calendar the day you get it done.

Yes, house rabbits need it too

This is the most common and most dangerous misunderstanding. Owners reasonably think an indoor rabbit that never meets a wild rabbit is safe. It is not.

The PDSA is explicit that all rabbits, including house rabbits, should be vaccinated, because myxomatosis and RHD can spread via insects such as mosquitoes and fleas, via wild rabbits, and on surfaces such as clothes and shoes. Every one of those routes reaches an indoor rabbit. A fly through an open window, hay carrying the virus, or the soles of your own shoes are all realistic ways an unvaccinated house rabbit gets infected. Living indoors lowers the risk a little; it does not remove it.

What it costs, and how to keep costs down

There is no single national price. The PDSA states plainly that vaccination costs vary from practice to practice, and the honest advice is to phone your own vet and ask. As a rough guide, the combined annual vaccine commonly falls somewhere in the region of £40 to £70 in the UK, but this varies widely by area and practice, so treat that only as a ballpark and confirm locally.

A few ways to manage the cost:

• Health plans. Many practices offer monthly payment plans that spread vaccinations, health checks and parasite treatment across the year. For a rabbit, this can work out cheaper and stops you forgetting the booster.
• Combine the visit. The annual vaccination appointment is the ideal moment for a full health check, a teeth check and a weigh-in. You are paying for the vet's time either way.
• Insurance context. Vaccinations themselves are a routine cost that pet insurance does not cover, but keeping a rabbit vaccinated is often a condition of a valid claim if it later catches something. If you are weighing up cover, our guide to lifetime pet insurance explained walks through how that works.

What to expect on the day, and afterwards

The appointment is quick. The vet will usually give the rabbit a brief health check first, because vaccines should only go into a well rabbit, then give the injection under the skin.

Side effects are uncommon and usually mild. The PDSA lists lethargy, reduced appetite and a small round swelling at the injection site as the typical reactions, generally settling within 24 to 48 hours. What you should watch for, and ring the vet about, is a rabbit that stops eating altogether. A rabbit that will not eat for 12 hours or more is always an emergency, vaccine or not, because their digestive system can shut down dangerously fast.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming indoor means safe. The biggest error. House rabbits still need the full annual vaccine.
• Letting the booster lapse. Protection runs out at around 12 months. A rabbit that is "mostly up to date" is not protected.
• Vaccinating a single rabbit and forgetting the others. If you keep a bonded pair or group, every rabbit needs its own vaccine on schedule.
• Skipping it because a rabbit is old. Older rabbits are still at risk. Unless your vet advises otherwise for a specific health reason, keep boosting.
• Home-dosing or importing vaccines. Rabbit vaccination interactions are genuinely tricky. This is a vet job, every time.

Quick pre-appointment checklist

• Rabbit is eating, drinking and behaving normally (only well rabbits should be vaccinated)
• You know when the last vaccine was given, if any
• All rabbits in the household are booked in, not just one
• Renewal date will go straight in your calendar afterwards
• You have your vet's number to hand in case of any post-jab appetite loss

The bottom line

Myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease are common in the UK, they are nearly always fatal, and they reach indoor rabbits. Against that, protection is now remarkably straightforward: for most rabbits, one combined injection a year from five weeks of age. It is one of the clearest, highest-value things you can do for a rabbit's health. Book the first one, then never miss the annual booster.

Once the medical basics are covered, good housing and enrichment do the rest. Our guides to hutch versus indoor housing, litter training your rabbit and treat-dispensing toys cover the day-to-day side of keeping a rabbit thriving.

Sources

• PDSA – Rabbit vaccines
• RSPCA – Rabbit diseases and vaccinations
• Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund – Vaccination updates
• MSD Animal Health – Nobivac Myxo-RHD PLUS
• Vaccines / PMC – Novel trivalent vectored vaccine for myxomatosis, RHDV1 and RHDV2