Some patients have come forward with reports of major complications after treatment with Zostavax, a popular shingles vaccine—and some have even filed a shingles vaccine lawsuit over these Zostavax side effects.

Background of Zostavax

Zostavax was first introduced to the market in May 2006 with its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Zostavax vaccine is manufactured by Merck & Co., approved to prevent shingles (herpes zoster) in patients 60 and up. Essentially, Zostavax is a stronger version of Merck’s chickenpox vaccine, Varivax.

Unfortunately, the use of the Zostavax vaccine has been associated with a serious and even dangerous complication: the development of the very vaccine it is meant to prevent.

Zostavax Adverse Reactions

Any medication will come with certain side effects, and Zostavax is no exception. Zostavax’s information sheet includes warnings of side effects like headaches, fever, joint pain, and nausea. The key here is that there is a warning of these side effects.

Patients have also reported major side effects after use of Zostavax that were not initially included in the warnings, including blindness, paralysis, brain damage, and death. Since then, the FDA has updated the drug’s warnings to include vision damage from eye inflammation.

Side effects of Zostavax usually appear between zero and six months after the vaccine is administered, though long-term injuries like neurological damage are also possible.

Shingles Vaccine Lawsuit

A group of 18 plaintiffs from all across the country filed a Zostavax lawsuit back in July 2017, alleging that while the Merck & Co. Zostavax vaccine was supposed to prevent shingles, it actually led them to develop a particularly severe strain of the disease. For some, this led to a chronic condition involving nerve damage and pain known as postherpetic neuralgia.

According to the shingles vaccine lawsuit, hundreds of serious adverse event reports had been filed over Zostavax side effects, including dozens of deaths.

“If the plaintiffs were equipped with the knowledge of the defective conditions and potential harms of the Zostavax vaccine, they would not have purchased it and agreed to have it injected into their body,” the shingles vaccine lawsuit said.

Indeed, the plaintiffs claimed Merck & Co. had a responsibility to warn consumers about the risks associated with its vaccine, but failed to do so. “Merck downplayed the serious side effects of its product to encourage sales of the product; consequently, Merck placed its profits above its customers’ safety,” the shingles vaccine lawsuit argued.

The Shingles Vaccine Lawsuit is Case No. L-004177-17 in the Superior Court of New Jersey for Middlesex County. Plaintiffs from 12 different states all across the country joined in the litigation.

Filing a Zostavax Shingles Vaccine Lawsuit

If you or someone you love have suffered from side effects of the Zostavax vaccine, you may be able to file a shingles vaccine lawsuit. Filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by these side effects, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.