A new lawsuit has been filed in a New York court by multiple plaintiffs who say they experienced a harmful reaction to shingles injection known as Zostavax.

The complainants are all citizens and residents of various cities and towns in New York state and include Vito D. of Elmont, Christine J. of Bronx, Valentino F. of Lake Grove, Sondra R. of Scarsdale, Fatema T. of Troy, Gloria E. of Plainview, Nancy P. of Plattsburgh, and Anna D. of Ronkonkoma.

The named defendants in this case are Merck & Co., Merck, Sharpe & Dohme Corp, and McKesson Corp., developers, manufacturers, promoters, and distributors of the Zostavax vaccine. Said defendants, according to the lawsuit narrative, claimed that the vaccine was safe, and supremely effective in preventing the painful rash known as herpes zoster or shingles.

The Plaintiffs’ Stories

Vito D. says he was inoculated with Zostavax in 2015. Sometime in 2016,. he alleges he experienced a failure reaction to shingles injection. He was allegedly diagnosed with herpes zoster, a condition related to the chicken pox virus that remains latent in the body after exposure and breakout of the illness—sometimes for decades.

Christine J. says she received the Zostavax vaccine as a prophylactic measure in the spring of 2014. A year and three months later, she claims she broke out in a rash which was later diagnosed as a failure reaction to shingles injection with active herpes zoster.

Valentino F. allegedly received the Zostavax vaccine as part of routine health maintenance with the assurance that it would prevent shingles in 2010. His doctor relied upon the assurances of the defendants in encouraging this preventative health step. He says he had a failure reaction to shingles injection six years later in late August 2016 and was diagnosed with herpes zoster.

Sondra R. says she was injected with the Zostavax vaccine in October 2008 to prevent onset of shingles. She, like the other plaintiffs, had a failure reaction to shingles injection that showed up eight years later in January 2016.

Fatema T. alleges she was on the receiving end of the Zostavax vaccine as a result of encouragement from her primary care physician in the early summer of 2015. Within three months of being inoculated, she had a failure reaction to shingles injection and broke out in a painful rash that was diagnosed as herpes zoster.

Gloria E. claims she broke out in shingles in July 2016 after having received the Zostavax preventative vaccine in January 2013.

Nancy P., another plaintiff, says she was treated for herpes zoster or shingles in November 2015 after having received the Zostavax shot six years previously.

Anna D. also says she developed shingles in December 2015 after getting the injection in August of that year.

All of the complainants in this case are seeking restitution in the form of compensatory damages from the defendants. They are asking for the inclusion of all attorney and court fees, and wages lost through painful rehabilitation from shingles.

The Shingles Vaccine Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-04720-SJF-AKT in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Kings.