A woman from Illinois alleges she developed an adverse reaction to shingles injection and was not aware of the full scope of the potential vaccine side effects. Soon after allegedly suffering this adverse reaction to shingles injection, she opted to file legal action against Merck for negligence and failure to warn.

Plaintiff Carolyn B. reportedly developed an adverse reaction to shingles injection soon after receiving the Zostavax shot which had been recommended by her physician. Like many other patients, Carolyn was prescribed the Zostavax vaccine for shingles prevention.

The Zostavax vaccine is an immunization specifically for shingles prevention, which is a condition often characterized by red, irritating patches on the skin. This vaccine is often prescribed to patients over the age of 50.

The Zostavax vaccine contains a weakened chickenpox virus, which helps the immune system prepare itself to battle against the development of shingles. It is thought that shingles is caused by an adverse reaction to a dormant chickenpox strain, which means patients who have had chickenpox in the past will face the highest risk of shingles development.

With these benefits in mind, Carolyn says she agreed to have the Zostavax shot and received it in 2016. When Carolyn agreed to get the Zostavax vaccine, she says her physician disclosed all the potential side effects listed on the patient information sheet released by Merck. The potential vaccine reactions from Zostavax includes headaches, fever, joint and muscle pain, nausea and shingles occurrence, she says.

Not long after receiving Zostavax, Carolyn reportedly developed an adverse reaction to shingles vaccine within the same year she received the shot. According to the Zostavax lawsuit, Carolyn developed shingles and has been contending with the condition ever since.

Carolyn opted to file legal action against Merck after discovering there were much more serious complications associated with the shingles vaccine.

Overview of Zostavax Shingles Vaccine Complications

The Zostavax warning label received an update in 2016, after injury reports of eye inflammation. Over the years, the FDA has received injury reports describing a number of serious complications including blindness, paralysis, brain damage and even death.

These complications spurred the FDA to issue two black box warnings to the Zostavax label which were supposed to help prevent more patients from suffering a severe reaction from shingles injection. Other complications reported to the FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) include:

• Gastrointestinal disorders
• Rashes
• Arthralgia
• Myalgia
• Anaphylactic reactions
• Necrotizing retinitis

Even though these complications can be potentially fatal, patients claim Merck allegedly failed to disclose this information to the public. At all times relevant, Carolyn says she and her physician relied on the product information provided by Merck and had no reason to believe there were no other serious complications.

Carolyn states she would not have gotten the Zostavax shot if she had known about a potentially fatal reaction to shingles injection. Carolyn is seeking a multitude of damages in her lawsuit, including compensation for medically related injuries.

This Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 3:18-cv-15845, in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Law Division- Middlesex County.