UK Rabbit RHD Vaccination Warning 2026 — Every Owner Must Know This

A woman came into the shop in the spring with a question I had been answering more and more often. She had been vaccinating her rabbit faithfully every year, exactly as advised, for the past four years. She had recently heard — from another rabbit owner, not from her vet — that there was a new strain of RHD going around that her existing vaccine might not fully protect against. She wanted to know if it was true, or if it was the kind of thing that gets exaggerated on social media.

I told her it was true, and that it was important enough that I wanted to walk her through the whole picture rather than give her a quick answer.

A highly virulent strain of RVHD2 has been identified in several European countries, including France, Hungary, northern Italy, and the Netherlands — in some of those countries making up roughly half of all RVHD2 cases being seen. It has not, as far as current surveillance shows, been confirmed in the UK at the time of writing. But given how this disease has moved historically, nobody in the rabbit welfare community is treating its eventual arrival here as a remote possibility. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund — the leading rabbit welfare charity in the UK — has been explicit that it is a matter of time.

The genuinely important part of this story is what it means for vaccination. The vaccine most UK rabbits have been receiving for years protects well against the established strains of RHD. It has not been specifically tested against this new highly virulent strain. A newer vaccine, which became available in the UK from January 2025, has been tested against it and has demonstrated effectiveness. The current advice from the RWAF is that rabbits should now be receiving both vaccines — not as a replacement of one for the other, but as two separate vaccinations covering different elements of protection.

This is not advice I am giving lightly or repeating from somewhere unreliable. It comes directly from the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s veterinary guidance, and I want every rabbit owner who reads this to understand it clearly and act on it through their vet.

What RHD Actually Is — Why This Disease Is So Dangerous

Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease is a viral disease that causes severe internal haemorrhaging and acute organ failure, primarily affecting the liver. It is extremely contagious and extremely lethal — mortality rates in unvaccinated rabbits are generally reported between 70 and 100 percent. Death often occurs within hours to a few days of infection, and in many cases the first sign an owner sees is a rabbit that has died with no obvious prior illness.

There are, broadly, two strains that have circulated in the UK in recent years: the original RHDV (sometimes referred to as RHDV1) and a variant called RHDV2, which emerged in France in 2010 and has since become the dominant circulating strain in much of Europe, including the UK. RHDV2 is notable because it can affect very young rabbits and partially vaccinated rabbits that older strains would not have affected as readily.

• The virus spreads extremely easily — through direct contact between rabbits, through contact with contaminated bedding, food, or equipment, through biting insects such as fleas and mosquitoes, and on contaminated clothing, shoes, and hands; it can also be carried by wild rabbits, meaning even rabbits that never leave an enclosed garden are at risk if wild rabbits are present in the area
• Indoor rabbits are not protected from RHD by being indoors — the virus can be brought into a home on shoes, clothing, or hands after contact with contaminated ground, and it can also be transmitted via insects that find their way indoors; indoor-only status is not a substitute for vaccination
• There is no reliable treatment once a rabbit is infected — supportive veterinary care can be given but the disease progresses extremely fast and the prognosis is generally very poor; prevention through vaccination is the only meaningfully effective strategy
• RHD is a notifiable concern within the rabbit welfare community precisely because it can wipe out entire households or colonies of rabbits very quickly — a single infected rabbit introduced into a household with multiple unvaccinated rabbits can result in the loss of all of them within days

The Highly Virulent Strain — What Has Changed

This is the development that every existing rabbit owner needs to understand, because it directly affects whether your current vaccination routine is providing complete protection.

A new, highly virulent strain of RVHD2 has been identified circulating in several European countries. According to the RWAF’s published guidance, it has been detected in Hungary, France, northern Italy, and the Netherlands, and in those countries it accounts for a substantial proportion — roughly half, according to the cases being reported — of all RVHD2 infections seen. UK surveillance for this specific strain is limited, so its presence here cannot currently be confirmed or ruled out with certainty. The RWAF’s clear position is that, based on the pattern with previous RHD strains reaching the UK from continental Europe, it is realistic to expect this strain to arrive here, if it has not already.

• The vaccine that most UK rabbits have been receiving for years has not been specifically tested against the highly virulent strain — the manufacturer has stated that no vaccine failures have been observed, which is a degree of reassurance, but it is not the same as the strain-specific testing and demonstrated effectiveness that the newer vaccine has
• The newer vaccine, available in the UK since January 2025, has been tested and demonstrated effective against the new highly virulent strains — this is the vaccine the RWAF is now recommending be given in addition to, not instead of, the established vaccine
• The newer vaccine covers RVHD1 and RVHD2 including the highly virulent strain, but does not cover myxomatosis — the established triple vaccine covers RHDV1, RHDV2, and myxomatosis; neither vaccine alone covers everything a UK rabbit needs to be protected against, which is why the RWAF’s current advice is for both to be given
• The RWAF has reported confusion among some veterinary professionals about this guidance — some rabbit owners who have specifically asked their vet for the additional vaccine have been told they do not need it; this appears to reflect inconsistent awareness across the veterinary profession rather than a genuine difference of opinion about the underlying evidence, and the RWAF has stated it is working to communicate more clearly with vets on this point

The Current RWAF Recommendation — What Every UK Rabbit Should Be Receiving

The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s published advice, current as of their most recent updates, is as follows. I am setting this out as clearly as I can because this is the information that matters most in this entire article.

• Vaccine one — the established combination vaccine — protecting against RHDV1, RHDV2 (classical strain), and myxomatosis; this vaccine has been available in the UK for several years and should already be part of every vaccinated rabbit’s routine; do not discontinue this
• Vaccine two — the newer vaccine — protecting against RHDV1 and RHDV2 including the highly virulent strain; available in the UK from January 2025; this is the addition that many existing rabbit owners have not yet received and need to discuss with their vet
• The two vaccines can be given as little as two weeks apart — but the RWAF recommends moving toward six-monthly intervals between them where possible, partly because this also means the rabbit gets a six-month veterinary health check rather than only an annual one
• This applies to all rabbits, not just those considered high-risk — the RWAF’s communication on this point has been clear that all rabbits should be receiving both vaccinations, not just those in rescue environments or larger colonies
• Rabbits in rescue, foster, or multi-rabbit environments are at particularly elevated risk — due to higher rabbit turnover and contact rates — and the RWAF has specifically suggested that rescues prioritise getting this additional vaccination into their populations, given both the higher risk and the larger numbers involved

Why You Need to Raise This With Your Vet Directly

I want to be direct about something that the RWAF has also been direct about — there has been inconsistency in how clearly this guidance has reached individual veterinary practices, and some owners who have proactively asked about additional vaccination have been told it is not necessary.

• Do not assume your vet has automatically added the new vaccine to your rabbit’s annual routine — ask directly and specifically; describe that you are asking about protection against the highly virulent strain of RVHD2 that has been identified in Europe since 2024
• If your vet is uncertain or tells you it is not needed, it is reasonable to ask them to check the current RWAF guidance — this is not about distrust of your vet; the RWAF itself has acknowledged that communication to the veterinary profession on this specific point has needed reinforcing, and a good vet will welcome being pointed to updated guidance from a relevant welfare body
• Bring it up at your rabbit’s next routine appointment rather than waiting for the annual vaccination date — given the urgency the RWAF has placed on this, a six-month check-in is a more appropriate interval than waiting a further twelve months if your rabbit has not yet received the additional vaccine
• If your usual vet does not stock or administer the newer vaccine, ask whether they can source it or whether they can refer you to a practice that does — availability has been improving since the January 2025 introduction but is not necessarily universal at every practice yet

What Else Every UK Rabbit Owner Should Be Doing in the Meantime

Vaccination is the single most effective protective measure, but it is not the only thing that affects your rabbit’s risk of exposure. While you arrange the conversation with your vet, these measures reduce risk further.

• Do not stop vaccinating with the established combination vaccine while you arrange the additional one — the RWAF has been explicit that the existing vaccine still offers the fullest protection currently available and should continue without interruption
• Reduce contact between your rabbits and wild rabbits — secure runs and gardens against wild rabbit access where practical; wild rabbit populations are a known reservoir for RHD and contact, even indirect, increases risk
• Practice basic biosecurity, particularly if you handle other people’s rabbits or visit rescues, shows, or other rabbit-keeping environments — change clothes and shoes, or at minimum disinfect footwear, before returning to your own rabbits; the RWAF has specifically recommended pet-safe disinfectants effective against related caliciviruses, such as those marketed for cat flu, as a practical option, with a diluted household bleach solution (one part bleach to ten parts water) on shoe soles as a fallback if nothing else is available
• Control biting insects around rabbit housing — fleas and mosquitoes are documented routes of RHD transmission; appropriate flea prevention recommended by your vet and reducing standing water or insect attractants near outdoor hutches both reduce this route of exposure
• If you are bringing a new rabbit into a household with existing rabbits, quarantine appropriately and ensure the new rabbit’s vaccination status is confirmed or addressed before full introduction — a newly acquired rabbit with uncertain or incomplete vaccination history is a genuine risk to existing rabbits in the household
• Know the early warning signs, even though RHD often kills with little or no warning — lethargy, loss of appetite, breathing difficulty, and in some cases bleeding from the nose are reported signs; given how fast the disease progresses, any of these in an unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated rabbit warrants an emergency vet call rather than a wait-and-see approach

Where This Information Comes From

I want to be clear about sourcing on this, because vaccination advice is not something to take on trust from a pet shop counter alone. The guidance described in this article reflects published communications from the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund, the principal rabbit welfare charity in the UK, along with publicly available regulatory documentation on the newer vaccine from the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate. The RWAF works directly with veterinary advisors and vaccine manufacturers and updates its guidance as the situation develops.

• The RWAF cannot name specific vaccine products directly to rabbit owners — this is a regulatory restriction under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, not a choice by the charity; your vet can and will discuss specific products with you, which is why this conversation needs to happen with a veterinary professional
• This is an evolving situation — surveillance for the highly virulent strain in the UK is ongoing, and guidance may be refined further as more information becomes available; checking the RWAF’s published updates periodically, or asking your vet whether anything has changed, is sensible practice for any rabbit owner
• I am not a vet and this article is not a substitute for direct veterinary advice — what I can do is make sure every rabbit owner who comes through our door, or reads this, knows that this conversation needs to happen and knows roughly what to ask

Frequently Asked Questions

Has the highly virulent strain of RVHD2 been confirmed in the UK?

As of current published guidance, it has not been definitively confirmed through UK surveillance, though surveillance specifically for this strain has been limited. It has been confirmed in several nearby European countries including France, Hungary, northern Italy, and the Netherlands. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s position is that, based on the pattern of previous RHD strains reaching the UK from continental Europe, its eventual arrival should be expected rather than treated as unlikely.

Is my rabbit’s existing vaccine useless against the new strain?

No — this is an important distinction. The established combination vaccine has not been specifically tested against the highly virulent strain, but the manufacturer has stated that no vaccine failures have been observed to date. This is a meaningfully different situation from a vaccine known to be ineffective. The RWAF’s advice is not to stop using the established vaccine, but to add the newer vaccine alongside it for more complete and specifically tested protection.

Do I need to pay for an extra vaccine on top of what I already give my rabbit?

Under the current RWAF guidance, yes — the recommendation is for two separate vaccines to be given, covering different aspects of protection between them. This does represent an additional cost and an additional vet visit if not aligned with the existing schedule. The RWAF has suggested working toward six-monthly intervals for both vaccines, which also provides the benefit of more frequent veterinary health checks for your rabbit.

My vet told me I do not need the additional vaccine. Should I get a second opinion?

This is a reasonable thing to do, and it is something the RWAF itself has anticipated — they have acknowledged inconsistency in how clearly their updated guidance has reached individual practices and have stated they are working to communicate more clearly with vets. You can raise this directly with your vet, ask them to check current RWAF guidance, or consult another rabbit-experienced vet if you remain uncertain. This is not about distrust of your vet generally — it reflects a genuinely fast-moving situation where guidance has updated since many vets’ standard protocols were established.

Does my indoor rabbit really need this?

Yes. RHD can be brought indoors on shoes, clothing, and hands after contact with contaminated outdoor ground, and it can also be transmitted by biting insects that find their way indoors. Being kept exclusively indoors reduces but does not eliminate risk. The RWAF’s guidance applies to all rabbits, not only those with outdoor access.

What if my rabbit is currently unvaccinated? Where do I start?

Book a veterinary appointment as soon as possible and ask specifically about both vaccines — the established combination vaccine covering RHDV1, RHDV2, and myxomatosis, and the newer vaccine covering the highly virulent RVHD2 strain. Your vet will advise on the correct schedule, including the minimum interval between the two vaccines if both are needed from a starting point of no prior vaccination. Do not delay this — RHD circulates in the UK regardless of whether the highly virulent strain specifically has arrived yet, and an unvaccinated rabbit is at serious risk from the established strains in the meantime.

Where can I get more advice about rabbit vaccination in Swindon?

Come in to Paradise Pets at Manor Garden Centre, Cheney Manor Industrial Estate, Swindon SN2 2QJ — or call us on 01793 512400. We can talk through the general picture and point you toward current RWAF guidance, but the vaccination itself and the specific conversation about what your individual rabbit needs has to happen with a vet — this is one area where I will always send you to veterinary professionals rather than try to substitute for them. Free general advice, no obligation. That is how we have done things here for 35 years.

One Last Thing From Me

The woman who came in with the question that prompted this article went straight from the shop to phone her vet. She told me afterwards that her vet had, in fact, been aware of the updated guidance and was able to book her in for the additional vaccination within the fortnight.

Not every conversation like that goes that smoothly, based on what the RWAF itself has reported about inconsistent awareness across the profession. But the only way to find out where your own vet stands on this is to ask directly, by name, about the highly virulent strain and the newer vaccine.

RHD has been the disease I worry about most for rabbit owners throughout my 35 years in this trade, because it is so lethal and so preventable in the same breath. A rabbit that dies of RHD very often dies of a gap in vaccination protection that could have been closed with a conversation and an appointment. The emergence of this highly virulent strain raises the stakes on that gap considerably, because it means even owners who have been doing everything right by the old standard may now have a protection gap they do not know about.

Have the conversation with your vet. Ask specifically. Do not assume your existing annual vaccine already covers this — for many rabbits, as things currently stand, it does not.

Written by Neil — Neil has owned and run Paradise Pets Swindon since 1988. He has kept, bred, and sold rabbits and other small animals for over 35 years. This article reflects published guidance from the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund and UK veterinary regulatory documentation current at the time of writing; always confirm the latest advice directly with your vet. For general advice on any animal, visit us at Manor Garden Centre, Cheney Manor, Swindon — or call 01793 512400.