Cats need two core vaccines: rabies and the combination FVRCP shot (which covers feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia). Kittens get a series starting around 6–8 weeks, then boosters as adults. Rabies is often legally required. Here’s the full picture, including for indoor cats.
Short answer: Every cat needs the core vaccines: rabies and the combination FVRCP shot, which protects against three serious diseases at once — feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), calicivirus, and panleukopenia (feline distemper). Kittens receive a series of FVRCP shots every few weeks starting around 6 to 8 weeks of age, plus a rabies shot, then adults get boosters on a schedule your vet sets (often every 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine and local law). Some cats also need non-core vaccines like FeLV (feline leukemia) based on their individual lifestyle and risk factors. Rabies vaccination is legally required for cats in many places, so it isn’t optional even for indoor cats in those areas.
People ask this question in a lot of different ways — what vaccines, what injections, what shots, how often for rabies, and whether indoor cats really need any of it at all. The answer really comes down to a small, manageable set of core vaccines that every cat needs, plus a few optional ones layered on based on the individual cat’s risk. Below I’ll lay out exactly which shots your cat needs, the kitten schedule, the adult booster schedule, the indoor-cat question that trips so many people up, and roughly what all of it costs.
Want a schedule tailored to your cat’s age? The Waldev cat vaccination schedule calculator maps out which shots are due and when. For the price side, see how much it costs to vaccinate a cat.
The core vaccines every cat needs
The first thing to understand is that not all vaccines are treated equally. Veterinary guidelines divide cat vaccines into “core” (recommended for all cats) and “non-core” (given based on lifestyle and risk). The core vaccines are the baseline every cat should have.
| Core vaccine | Protects against | Why it’s core |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies | Rabies virus | Fatal once symptoms appear, transmissible to humans, and legally required in many areas. |
| FVRCP (combination) | Feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia | Protects against common, serious, and sometimes deadly feline diseases in a single shot. |
So the short list of “what shots do cats need” really comes down to just two core items: rabies and FVRCP, the combination shot. The FVRCP is a single combination injection that bundles protection against three separate diseases, which is why one shot covers so much ground and why it’s the most important vaccine after rabies. Everything else — FeLV, for instance — is non-core and depends on the individual cat’s circumstances, lifestyle, and where you live. We’ll cover each of these in turn below, but if you remember nothing else from this guide: rabies plus FVRCP is the essential foundation for every cat.
The two-vaccine foundation: rabies (often legally required) and FVRCP (three diseases in one shot). Rabies and FVRCP together cover the diseases most likely to seriously harm or kill a cat, which is why they’re universal. Get a personalized due-date schedule from the vaccination schedule calculator, then confirm specifics with your vet, since local law and your cat’s health shape the exact plan.
What the FVRCP vaccine covers
That mysterious string of letters confuses a lot of owners, so let’s decode it. FVRCP is the workhorse core vaccine, and the acronym packs in three diseases.
Understanding what each letter means shows why it matters so much.FVR — Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
Caused by feline herpesvirus. It’s a major cause of upper respiratory infection in cats, bringing sneezing, eye and nose discharge, and fever, and it can become a recurring lifelong issue.
C — Calicivirus
Another very common upper respiratory virus, often causing painful mouth ulcers alongside respiratory signs. Most cases are mild to moderate, but some strains can be severe.
P — Panleukopenia
Feline “distemper” — a highly contagious and often fatal disease that attacks the gut and immune system. It’s especially deadly in unvaccinated kittens, which is why this component is so important.
So “FVRCP” is sometimes simply called the “distemper shot” (after the P for panleukopenia) or just the combination vaccine, which can confuse owners who don’t realize they’re the same thing. It’s a single injection that builds protection against all three of these diseases at once, which is why it’s considered the cornerstone of feline vaccination alongside rabies. The panleukopenia component in particular is critical, because that disease is highly contagious and has a high fatality rate in unvaccinated kittens, who are the most vulnerable to it. For more on the distemper piece specifically, see what distemper is in cats and our dedicated guide on the FVRCP vaccine.
Rabies: how often and the legal rules
Of the two core vaccines, rabies is the one with legal weight behind it. Rabies is the other core vaccine, and it’s the one most likely to be legally mandated.
How often it’s needed depends on the specific vaccine and your local laws.| Question | General answer |
|---|---|
| First rabies shot | Usually given to kittens around 12 to 16 weeks of age, depending on the specific vaccine and local rules. |
| How often after that | A booster typically 1 year later, then every 1 to 3 years afterward depending on the specific vaccine used and what local law requires. |
| Is it legally required? | In many areas, yes — rabies vaccination is mandated by law for all cats, including strictly indoor ones. |
| Indoor cats too? | Often still legally required, and recommended regardless, since rabies is fatal and exposure can happen unexpectedly even indoors. |
The “how often do cats need rabies shots” question doesn’t have one universal answer, because it depends on whether a 1-year or 3-year vaccine is used and what your local law requires. Many places mandate rabies vaccination regardless of whether the cat goes outside. Because rabies is invariably fatal once symptoms appear and can spread to people, it’s treated with particular seriousness in both law and veterinary practice, which is why it’s so often mandated rather than merely recommended. Always follow your local requirements and your vet’s schedule. To recognize the disease itself, see how to tell if a cat has rabies.
The vaccination schedule calculator works out rabies and FVRCP timing from your cat’s age. Confirm the rabies interval with your vet and local law.
Non-core (lifestyle) vaccines
Once the core foundation is covered, the rest is tailored to the individual cat. Beyond the core vaccines, there are non-core vaccines your vet may recommend based on your cat’s specific risk
— mainly lifestyle, environment, and exposure to other cats.FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). Often recommended for kittens and for any cat that goes outdoors or lives with other cats, since FeLV spreads between cats through close contact. Many vets consider it effectively core for kittens specifically, because of how vulnerable young cats are.
Other situational vaccines. Depending on your region and the cat’s specific risk factors, a vet might discuss additional vaccines beyond the common ones. These are individualized recommendations rather than universal requirements.
Whether your cat needs any non-core vaccines is a conversation to have with your vet, weighing factors like indoor versus outdoor life, how much contact the cat has with other cats, travel, and local disease prevalence. Among the non-core options, FeLV is by far the most commonly discussed, and it’s frequently recommended for kittens regardless of lifestyle, because a young cat’s eventual indoor-or-outdoor future is uncertain and the disease is serious and incurable. The key point to hold onto is this: core vaccines are for every cat without exception, while non-core vaccines are tailored to the individual cat’s circumstances. Your vet builds the full plan around your particular cat’s life and risk.
The kitten vaccine schedule
Kittenhood is when most of the vaccination work happens. Kittens need a series of vaccines, not just one, because the protection builds up over several rounds.
Here’s the general shape of a kitten vaccination schedule.| Age (approx.) | Typical vaccines |
|---|---|
| 6–8 weeks | First FVRCP shot of the series; the FeLV vaccine is often started around here too for kittens. |
| 10–12 weeks | An FVRCP booster, plus an FeLV booster if that series was started. |
| 12–16 weeks | The final FVRCP of the kitten series, plus the first rabies shot around this age. |
| ~1 year | First-year boosters for both FVRCP and rabies to lock in lasting protection. |
The reason kittens get a series rather than a single shot is that protective antibodies passed from their mother can interfere with early vaccines, so several rounds spaced a few weeks apart ensure protection reliably takes hold as that maternal immunity gradually fades. The series typically runs from around 6–8 weeks to about 16 weeks of age, followed by boosters around a year old to lock in lasting protection. Exact ages and intervals vary with the vaccine and your vet’s protocol. The vaccination schedule calculator can lay out the rounds based on your kitten’s age. For how vaccine timing relates to a kitten growing up, see when a kitten is considered a cat.
Adult boosters and yearly shots
After the busy kitten period, the schedule settles into a much lighter rhythm. Once a cat is through the kitten series and the first-year boosters, vaccination shifts to a maintenance schedule of periodic boosters.
This is where “what shots do cats need yearly” comes in.Not everything is strictly yearly. Some boosters — certain FVRCP and rabies vaccines — are given every 3 years rather than annually, depending on the specific product used and what local law requires.
Annual vet check regardless. Even when a vaccine isn’t due in a given year, an annual wellness exam is still recommended, and some vaccines, blood tests, or parasite checks may happen at that same visit.
FeLV boosters if applicable. Cats that receive the FeLV vaccine may need periodic boosters based on their continued level of risk and exposure.
Your vet sets the cadence. The exact booster schedule depends on the specific vaccine products used, your individual cat’s risk profile, and the local rules in your area.
So the honest answer to the common “what shots do cats need yearly” question is: it depends on the vaccine, and not all of them are actually annual anymore. Modern vaccine protocols often space core boosters out to every 3 years for healthy adult cats rather than every single year, while still keeping an annual wellness visit on the calendar regardless of whether a shot is due. The yearly check matters even when no shot is actually due, because it’s the regular touchpoint when your vet weighs the cat, checks teeth, and catches health issues early before they become serious. We go deeper on this in what shots cats need yearly.
Do indoor cats need shots?
This question comes up constantly, and the answer isn’t what many indoor-cat owners expect. This is one of the most common questions, and the answer surprises some owners: yes, indoor cats generally still need core vaccines.
Being indoors reduces some risks but doesn’t eliminate the need.Rabies is often legally required regardless. Many areas mandate rabies vaccination for all cats, indoor included. And indoor cats can still be exposed — a bat in the house, an escape, a wildlife encounter.
FVRCP is still recommended. These viruses can reach even strictly indoor cats in various ways — on shoes, clothing, or via brief escapes — and panleukopenia in particular is a hardy, environmentally stable virus, so core protection is advised even for indoor-only cats.
Non-core may be skippable. Vaccines like FeLV may be less necessary for a strictly indoor, single-cat household with no exposure to other cats — this is the one area where indoor status genuinely changes the plan, and it’s decided with your vet based on real risk.
Escapes and the unexpected happen. Even the most devoted indoor cats sometimes slip out a door or window, or encounter a bat that gets inside, and having core protection already in place matters most in exactly those unplanned, unpredictable moments.
So to the recurring “do indoor cats need rabies shots or vaccines?” question — for the core vaccines, the answer is generally yes, and rabies in particular is often legally required either way. Where indoor status genuinely changes the plan is mainly with non-core vaccines like FeLV, which a vet may reasonably consider optional for a verifiably low-risk, single-cat indoor household. The core foundation, though, applies indoors and out. Talk to your vet about tailoring the non-core part to your indoor cat’s actual risk.
Don’t skip rabies on the assumption “she never goes out.” Beyond the legal requirement in many areas, indoor cats do occasionally escape or encounter wildlife (bats are a classic indoor rabies exposure). The core vaccines exist precisely because the unexpected happens.
What cat vaccines cost
Cost is a fair question, and the honest answer is that it ranges a lot. Vaccine costs vary widely by clinic, region, and whether you use a full-service vet or a low-cost clinic.
The figures below are illustrative examples to show the general shape of costs, not quotes — your actual costs will differ by clinic and region.| Item | Illustrative example range |
|---|---|
| Rabies vaccine | Often modestly priced per dose, and sometimes offered very cheaply at low-cost or community vaccine clinics. |
| FVRCP vaccine | A similar modest per-shot range, and it forms the backbone of the multi-visit kitten series. |
| Kitten series (full) | Adds up over several visits, since it involves multiple vaccine rounds plus the accompanying exams. |
| Low-cost clinic options | Community clinics, shelters, and nonprofit programs often run reduced-price vaccine clinics, especially for rabies. |
Because prices vary so much from place to place, the practical advice is to ask your own vet for their vaccine schedule and pricing up front, and to check whether local low-cost vaccine clinics, shelters, or community programs offer reduced rates — they very often do, especially for rabies and the core vaccines. We break this down in how much it costs to vaccinate a cat. For broader cat costs including procedures, see the cat cost calculator and our guide on how much it costs to fix a cat.
The American Animal Hospital Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners publish the core/non-core vaccine framework vets follow.
Cornell’s veterinary college provides reliable owner guidance on feline vaccines and schedules.
External references: AAFP (catvets.com) and Cornell Feline Health Center.
Why vaccinating matters
Before the schedules and specifics, it helps to understand why vaccines are such a fixture of cat care. The diseases they prevent are serious, and some are far easier to prevent than to treat.
Some of these diseases are deadly. Panleukopenia (feline distemper) has a high fatality rate in unvaccinated kittens, and rabies is essentially always fatal once symptoms appear in any animal. For diseases like these, vaccination is the only realistic line of defense, because treatment after the fact often isn’t possible.
Prevention beats treatment. Treating a serious viral illness is costly, stressful for the cat, and not always successful even with intensive care. A vaccine is a small, predictable, one-time step that avoids a large, uncertain, and potentially heartbreaking problem down the line.
Some protect people too. Rabies is a zoonotic disease — meaning it can pass from animals to humans — which is a major reason it’s so heavily legally regulated for pets in the first place.
Herd-level protection. Widespread vaccination reduces how much these viruses circulate in the wider cat population, which indirectly helps protect cats that can’t be fully vaccinated for medical reasons.
None of this means a vaccine schedule has to be elaborate. For most cats it amounts to a short list of core shots as a kitten, then periodic boosters as an adult, layered with the occasional non-core vaccine if their particular lifestyle warrants it. The point of the schedule is simply to keep protection topped up against diseases that are much worse to face than to prevent. Your vet tailors it, and the vaccination schedule calculator helps you see the shape of it by age.
The diseases these vaccines prevent
Knowing what each core vaccine actually guards against makes the whole schedule feel less like an arbitrary checklist and more like targeted, purposeful protection. Here’s a plain-language rundown.
| Disease | Vaccine | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Rabies | Rabies | A fatal viral disease of the nervous system that is transmissible to humans. There is no cure once symptoms appear, making prevention essential. |
| Panleukopenia (feline distemper) | FVRCP (the “P”) | Highly contagious and hardy in the environment; it attacks the gut and immune system and is often fatal in unvaccinated kittens. |
| Feline herpesvirus (rhinotracheitis) | FVRCP (the “FVR”) | A leading cause of upper respiratory infection in cats; once infected, it can become a lifelong recurring issue. |
| Calicivirus | FVRCP (the “C”) | A common respiratory virus, often accompanied by painful mouth ulcers; most cases are manageable but some strains are severe. |
| Feline leukemia (FeLV) | FeLV (non-core) | A serious, incurable immune-system virus spread between cats through close contact; a major reason to vaccinate outdoor or multi-cat kittens in particular. |
Two things really stand out when you lay this list out. First, the single FVRCP shot is quietly doing a lot of work, covering three separate diseases in one injection. Second, the conditions range all the way from “unpleasant but usually survivable” (some of the respiratory infections) to “frequently fatal” (panleukopenia and rabies), which is exactly the reason the most dangerous ones — the ones most likely to kill — are precisely the core, non-negotiable vaccines that every cat receives. For a deeper look at the distemper component, see what distemper is in cats; for the parvovirus question that often comes up alongside it, see do cats get parvo.
The FVRCP combination is the backbone of feline vaccination. See what the FVRCP vaccine is for the full breakdown.
What if a cat missed shots or has an unknown history?
Plenty of cats — rescues, strays, adopted adults — arrive with no vaccine records or a lapsed schedule. This situation is extremely common and entirely manageable; your vet simply restarts the series or catches up the schedule as needed.
If a cat’s vaccine history is completely unknown, vets generally treat them as unvaccinated and start the appropriate core vaccines, since over-vaccinating an already-protected cat is far less risky than leaving a potentially unprotected one exposed to serious disease.
If an adult cat is overdue on boosters, the vet may simply give a single booster or, depending on how lapsed it is and which vaccine is involved, restart part of the series. They’ll advise on the right approach based on the specifics of your cat.
Shelters and rescues often vaccinate cats on intake, so an adopted cat may already have some or all of the core vaccines. Get whatever records exist from the adoption and have your vet review them to fill any gaps.
There’s always a sensible way to bring any cat up to date, no matter how patchy the history. The key is simply to start the conversation with a vet rather than leaving gaps in protection out of uncertainty about where to begin.
The reassuring message here is that it’s rarely “too late” to vaccinate a cat. Whether you’ve taken in a stray, adopted an adult cat with no paperwork at all, or simply fallen behind on routine boosters, a vet can readily get the cat back on track. Don’t let an unknown or lapsed vaccine history become a reason to skip vaccines entirely — catching up is straightforward, low-risk, and well worth doing for the cat’s protection. The vaccination schedule calculator can help you see where an adult cat should be, as a starting point for that vet conversation.
What to expect after a vaccine
Vaccines are generally very safe, but mild, short-lived reactions are normal and worth recognizing so you know what’s expected versus what needs a call to the vet.
Common, mild, and brief
Some cats are a little tired, tender at the injection site, or slightly off their food for a day or so afterward. This usually passes quickly on its own within a day or two and is actually a normal, reassuring sign that the immune system is responding to the vaccine exactly as intended.
Uncommon, needs a vet
Signs like persistent vomiting, facial swelling, difficulty breathing, hives, or collapse after a vaccine are genuinely rare but need prompt veterinary attention if they occur. Always tell your vet about any past reactions so they can plan accordingly.
For the vast majority of cats, a vaccine appointment is completely uneventful beyond a slightly quiet evening afterward. Knowing the difference between an expected mild reaction (a sleepy, slightly sore cat) and a genuine adverse reaction (swelling, breathing trouble) means you can stay calm about the former and act quickly on the latter. If your cat has had any reaction to a vaccine before, be sure to mention it — your vet can adjust the timing, products, or pre-medication accordingly. As always, your vet’s guidance on aftercare is what to follow for your specific cat.
When to call after a shot: contact your vet promptly if your cat shows facial swelling, hives, repeated vomiting, difficulty breathing, or collapse after a vaccine. These reactions are uncommon but need attention. A little tiredness or soreness for a day is normal and not a cause for alarm.
Quick reference: what your cat needs at a glance
Pulling it all together, here’s the simple version of “what shots do cats need” by category, as a starting point for the conversation with your vet.
| Category | Vaccine | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Core | Rabies | All cats (often legally required), indoor and outdoor. |
| Core | FVRCP | All cats — covers rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia. |
| Non-core | FeLV | Kittens, and outdoor or multi-cat cats; often optional for low-risk indoor cats. |
| Situational | Others | Region- and risk-specific; discussed individually with your vet. |
That’s the entire framework captured in one table: two core vaccines for every cat, FeLV layered on by lifestyle and risk, and anything else decided on a case-by-case basis with your vet. The timing of it all — the kitten series, the first-year boosters, and the every-1-to-3-year adult cadence — is exactly what the schedule organizes for you, and it’s where the vaccination schedule calculator is most useful. Use this table to know what your cat needs, the calculator to estimate roughly when each is due, and your vet to confirm both for your particular cat and your local laws. Vaccination remains one of the most cost-effective things you can do for a cat’s long-term health, and the plan itself is genuinely simpler than the tangle of acronyms makes it look at first glance.
This table is the “what.” For the “when,” run your cat’s age through the vaccination schedule calculator and confirm with your vet.
Common myths about cat vaccines
Myth: “Indoor cats don’t need any shots”
Core vaccines are still recommended indoors, and rabies is often legally required regardless. Indoor status mainly affects non-core vaccines like FeLV, not the core foundation.
Myth: “One shot and they’re done for life”
Kittens need a series, and adults need periodic boosters. Immunity isn’t permanent from a single shot, which is why the schedule exists.
Myth: “All vaccines are annual”
Many core boosters are given every 3 years now, not yearly. The yearly visit is for a wellness check, not necessarily a shot.
Myth: “It’s too late to start with an older cat”
It’s rarely too late. Vets routinely start or restart vaccines in adult and senior cats with unknown or lapsed histories.
The thread through these misconceptions is treating vaccination as either unnecessary (for indoor cats) or as a one-and-done event. Neither is accurate. Vaccination is an ongoing, lifelong part of responsible cat care — much lighter in adulthood than in kittenhood, but never entirely finished — and it applies to indoor cats too, especially for the legally-required and most dangerous diseases. Getting the framework right means your cat stays protected without either over- or under-vaccinating, which is exactly the balance your vet aims for. If you’ve inherited a cat with no records at all, don’t assume the worst or skip vaccines out of confusion; just start the conversation with a vet, exactly as covered in the section above.
One more practical note: keep your cat’s vaccine records somewhere accessible. You’ll need proof of rabies vaccination for all sorts of things — boarding, grooming, travel, pet licensing, and sometimes even apartment leases. A simple folder, or just a photo of the certificates saved on your phone, saves a surprising amount of hassle later when someone asks for proof. If you ever change vets, those records let the new clinic pick up the schedule smoothly rather than starting from scratch. The vaccination schedule calculator is a planning aid, but the official certificates from your vet are the documents that count for legal and administrative purposes.
Proof of rabies vaccination is needed for boarding, travel, and licensing. Plan the schedule with the calculator, keep the certificates from your vet.
Frequently asked questions
What shots do cats need?
The core vaccines every cat needs are rabies and FVRCP, the combination shot covering feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia (feline distemper). Some cats also need non-core vaccines like FeLV, depending on lifestyle and risk. Rabies is legally required for cats in many areas, including strictly indoor ones.
How often do cats need rabies shots?
It depends on the vaccine and local law. A kitten typically gets a first rabies shot around 12 to 16 weeks, a booster about a year later, then a booster every 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine used and local requirements. Many areas legally mandate rabies vaccination for all cats.
What is the FVRCP vaccine?
FVRCP is a single combination vaccine protecting against three diseases: feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), calicivirus, and panleukopenia (feline distemper). It’s a core vaccine given to all cats, starting as a kitten series and continuing with adult boosters. It’s sometimes called the distemper shot or the combination vaccine.
Do indoor cats need vaccines?
Yes, indoor cats generally still need the core vaccines. Rabies is often legally required regardless of lifestyle, and indoor cats can still be exposed through escapes or wildlife like bats. FVRCP is also recommended indoors. Non-core vaccines like FeLV may be optional for a low-risk indoor cat, which your vet decides.
What is the kitten vaccine schedule?
Kittens get a series, not a single shot. Typically the first FVRCP comes around 6 to 8 weeks, with boosters every few weeks through about 16 weeks, plus the first rabies shot around 12 to 16 weeks, then boosters around a year old. The series exists because maternal antibodies from the mother can interfere with early vaccines, so several spaced-out rounds are needed to reliably ensure protection takes hold.
What shots do cats need yearly?
Not all core vaccines are strictly annual. Many modern FVRCP and rabies vaccines are boostered every 3 years for adult cats, depending on the product and local law. An annual wellness exam is still recommended even when no vaccine is due, and some vaccines or boosters may happen then. Your vet sets the exact cadence.
Do cats need the FeLV vaccine?
FeLV (feline leukemia) is a non-core vaccine, often recommended for kittens and for cats that go outdoors or live with other cats, since it spreads between cats. Many vets consider it core for kittens specifically. For a strictly indoor, single-cat household it may be optional. Your vet decides based on your cat’s risk.
How much do cat vaccines cost?
Costs vary widely by clinic and region. Individual core vaccines are often modestly priced, while a full kitten series adds up over several visits. Low-cost clinics, shelters, and community vaccine programs frequently offer reduced rates, especially for rabies and core vaccines. Ask your vet for their schedule and check local low-cost options.
Build your cat’s vaccine schedule
Not sure which shots are due and when? The Waldev cat vaccination schedule calculator maps out the core vaccines and booster timing based on your cat’s age, so you can plan visits and confirm the details with your vet.
Map the schedule → Core vaccines and boosters by age.
Related vaccine & health guides
- What is the FVRCP vaccine for cats? — the core combination shot explained.
- What shots do cats need yearly? — the adult booster schedule.
- How to tell if a cat has rabies — recognizing the disease.
- What is distemper in cats? — the panleukopenia piece of FVRCP.
- How much does it cost to vaccinate a cat? — budgeting for shots.
- Do cats get parvo? — the parvovirus question.
A quick disclaimer
This guide is for general education. Vaccine recommendations, schedules, intervals, and legal requirements vary by region, by the specific vaccine product, and by your individual cat, and they change over time. The schedules and any cost figures here are illustrative examples, not medical advice or quotes. Always follow your veterinarian’s recommendations and your local laws, which take precedence over any general guidance here. Rabies requirements in particular are set by law in many areas. Waldev is not affiliated with any veterinary practice, and the schedule produced by our calculator is an illustrative planning aid, not a medical record.