Veterinary Cancer Society Newsletter Spring 2003
The Vaccine Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force: Start to Premature Finish
Wallace Morrison DVM, DAVIM Purdue Univ. In
"The VAS Task Force was formed. as a joint response to what has clearly become the most important feline health issue since the recognition of FIV; induction of sarcomas following routine vaccination of cats.
The road to success of the Task Force has not been without difficulty. As you know, this is a politically charged issue. Compromise wording that shielded the vaccine industry from direct responsibility for creating this problem was required on most VASTF publications in order to keep the organization and funding intact. The response to the sarcoma problem by the vaccine companies has been passive and most seemingly took the position that their vaccines are safe or at least good enough for most cats. Development of non-sarcoma causing vaccines was never a stated goal of any company except Merial and no change in vaccine formulation or label recommendations was ever announced to VASTF in response to this problem. There was even a request to rename the VASTF, the Injection Site Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force. Apparently to deflect attention away from the vaccine products that cause the overwhelming majority of disease (my personal preference for a new name was the Vaccine CAUSED Feline Sarcoma Task Force.) Sadly, a few in our own profession still have doubts about the whole issue and resent and resist any motive to modernize vaccine recommendations according to VASTF, AAFP, and AFM guidelines. Denial and inertia can be powerful enemies of progress.
In 2002 the Task Force recognized that funding was becoming harder to secure. For whatever reason (lack of real consequences for producing vaccines with catastrophic consequences for some cats, industry contributions to support research almost dried up.
Unfortunately, in late 2002 the AVMA declined to provide any additional funding for VAFTF. It is hard to imagine how the AVMA could see it in the interest of cats and their owners to walk away from this problem after having contributed substantially to the initial success f VAFSTF.