Dozens of Zostavax lawsuits have newly been centralized in a multidistrict litigation set up in Philadelphia. In the Zostavax lawsuits, plaintiffs allege that they suffered from serious side effects caused by the shingles vaccine.

In total, there are 57 Zostavax lawsuits involved in the new MDL, which were determined to be similar enough to warrant centralization. The common factor is the questions that arise from the allegations in each Zostavax lawsuit.

“Issues concerning the design, testing, manufacture, regulatory approval, labeling, and marketing of Zostavax are common to all actions,” wrote the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. “In this litigation, all plaintiffs allege they were injured by the same product in the same manner—exposure to the live attenuated virus in Zostavax—indicating common factual issues will arise concerning the potential risks associated with the use of the live virus in the vaccine.”

These are not the only Zostavax lawsuits that have been filed. There are at least 41 related federal suits not yet included in the MDL.

Zostavax lawsuits allege the company’s vaccine caused serious injuries, including developing the very condition it was meant to prevent: shingles. According to the Zostavax lawsuits, had plaintiffs been adequately warned about the risks associated with the shingles vaccine, they would have chosen a safer alternative and avoided these risks entirely.

Basics of the Zostavax Shingles Vaccine

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 certain significant complications, including the development of shingles.

Complications of Zostavax

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.

Patients have also reported major Zostavax side effects after the 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 0 and 6 months after the vaccine is administered, though long-term injuries like neurological damage are also possible.

Filing a Zostavax Shingles Lawsuit

A growing number of patients have come forward with reports of major complications after treatment with Zostavax, a popular shingles vaccine, and some have even filed Zostavax lawsuits over these side effects. Zostavax lawsuits claim that Merck downplayed the side effects it knew were associated with its vaccine, failing to properly warn the public and the medical community.

If you or someone you love have suffered from side effects of the Zostavax vaccine, you may be able to file a Zostavax shingles 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.