In very rare cases, cats can develop sarcoma at the injection site, but not vaccinating is far more dangerous. Veterinary oncologist Dmitry Trofimtsov told socialbites.ca about this.
“Cats have occasionally been shown to develop sarcoma at the vaccination site. But this happens very rarely, about three times a hundred thousand. Dogs have certain types of papillomavirus that increase the risk of certain types of cancer, such as squamous cell skin cancer. The virus is transmitted to the puppy from the mother, as well as through saliva when sharing bowls and toys. Humans also have papillomaviruses, including oncogenic ones, but transmission between dogs and humans is impossible: infections are species-specific,” explained Trofimtsov.
The doctor added that because of the risk of sarcoma, some vaccines are recommended to be administered not to the shoulders, but to the crease of the knee or the base of the tail: they are easier to treat that way. One of the functions of the immune system is to fight cancer. Trofimtsov noted that the weakened immunity of an unvaccinated animal due to viruses can increase the risk of developing cancer, so you should not refuse vaccination.
For more information on cancer prevention in dogs, see Cancer prevention in dogs. material “socialbites.ca”.