Merck & Co. is facing a recently filed conjoined product liability claims, from a group of patients who allege they suffered shingles vaccine failure. According to the claim, each of the patients had a Zostavax injection for shingles prevention, then reportedly suffered shingles vaccine failure soon after.

This Zostavax lawsuit was filed after the patients learned that Merck & Co. was either aware or should have known about potential shingles vaccine failure, along with the complications that came with those reactions.

Each of the claimants alleges they were not warned of these reactions, nor were their physicians provided medically relevant information regarding the Zostavax vaccine.

According to the patient information sheet provided by Merck, potential shingles vaccine reactions can include headaches, joint pain, muscle pain, nausea, chickenpox, or even shingles. However, the FDA has received reports of more serious side effects including blindness, paralysis, brain damage, and even death.

These reported prompted the FDA to require black box warnings on the Zostavax warning label, with the drug side effects notice expanded to include potential vision damage and eye inflammation.

Overview of Shingles Vaccine Failure Allegations

The patients involved in this Zostavax lawsuit allege they were not warned against these reactions or other side effects that were allegedly caused by the shingles vaccine. The claimants in the Zostavax lawsuit include:

• New Jersey couple Grace B. and Mark B.: Grace had received the Zostavax vaccine on May 31, 2016, which was supposed to prevent shingles. Instead, Grace reportedly developed a burning sensation in her torso, skin sensitivity, and feelings of numbness and tingling in her feet. While Grace was initially diagnosed with shingles, she was eventually diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis on Jan. 7, 2017 because her symptoms had worsened.
• Arkansas plaintiff Gary F.: Gary had received the Zostavax vaccine on July 17, 2015, which was supposed to prevent shingles. However, Gary had reportedly developed several painful side effects including loss of strength in his left leg and walking difficulty. Gary says he has since been unable to walk and has been forced to contend with a lessened quality of life.
• Massachusetts plaintiff couple John K. and Jean K.: John had received the Zostavax vaccine in 2016, to prevent shingles. However, not long after receiving the shot, John had reportedly developed significant nerve pain, and suffered a shingles outbreak on both of his legs and back, which resulted in significant scarring.
• New Jersey couple Linda K. and William K.: Linda had received the Zostavax vaccine on Oct. 22, 2016, to prevent shingles. Soon after receiving the shot, Linda reportedly began experiencing shooting pains around her temple and had intense itchiness throughout her body. Linda was diagnosed with shingles on Oct. 27, 2016, which was just days after receiving the Zostavax shot. However, Linda says her condition compounded soon after and was diagnosed with post herpetic neuralgia on Nov. 18, 2016.

There are several more claimants named in the Zostavax lawsuit, alleging they had suffered adverse reactions from the shingles vaccine. The claimants state they would not have agreed to have the shot implemented if they had known about the serious reactions associated with shingles vaccine failure.

This Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-03108-ADS-SIL, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern New York.