A group of plaintiffs have filed a Merck shingles lawsuit in a Florida court, alleging the Zostavax shingles vaccine caused them damaging and unexpected complications.

The twenty plaintiffs in this Merck shingles lawsuit allege they suffered lasting injuries from getting the Zostavax vaccine, and they claim that compensatory damages are due on their behalf.

All of the twenty people that filed this Merck shingles lawsuit received the Zostavax vaccine in good faith that it would prevent an outbreak of the herpes zoster virus—also known as shingles. Zostavax was developed, manufactured, distributed, and advertised as effective in prophylactic treatment of this disease.

The twenty complainants claim they were diagnosed with shingles—an extremely painful localized skin rash affecting the nerve endings—all within two days to nine years of being vaccinated

According to the narrative of the Merck shingles lawsuit, herpes zoster is a reactivation of the same virus which causes the chicken pox—varicella. The chicken pox typically is contracted in an individuals youth between zero and 18 years of age and is highly-contagious. It is spread by skin contact, contaminated surfaces and saliva.

The varicella virus goes dormant in the system rather than simply being eradicated by the body once the chicken pox illness has resolved. Later, it can be reactivated as a byproduct of the aging process, stress, or a compromised immune system.

A large number of children are being inoculated against chicken pox with a vaccine that became available in 1995. For those that have it in their systems from childhood, Zostavax purportedly was supposed to prevent reactivation and is typically given as part of routine care in people aged 60 plus.

Zostavax was introduced in 2006. It’s frequently used to inoculate persons over the age of 50, to reduce the chance that they will later suffer from an outbreak of shingles. It contains a chicken pox virus that has been weakened, to allow the human immune system a chance to build an immunity to it.

By September 2015, 1,111 vaccine-related adverse event reports had been documented to the U.S. government, according to the Merck shingles lawsuit. Many patients have reported they ended up developing shingles anyway, allegedly caused by the vaccine itself. Other side effects reported in conjunction with a Zostavax vaccination include myelitis, hearing loss, vision problems, vasculitis, stroke, heart failure, and various autoimmune disorders.

This group of plaintiffs are bringing several counts against the defendants for the vaccine ineffectiveness and pain and suffering which they feel they should have been warned against. Some of the counts include design defect, negligence, breach of implied and express warranty, and fraudulent and negligent misrepresentation.

The complainants are asking for general, special, and statutory damages in full measure according to proof presented at trial. They hope for punitive damages to be also assessed against the defendants.

The Merck Shingles Lawsuit is Case No. 8:18-cv-01488-SDM-AEP in the Circuit Court for the Thirteenth Judicial District for Hillsborough County, Florida.