Plaintiffs Dolores S. and Michael S. are two of the most recent vaccine recipients to file a shingles injection reaction lawsuit against the makers of Zostavax. This lawsuit makes similar allegations to many others that have been filed in recent years aiming to hold the maker of the vaccine accountable for what patients believe is negligence.

Zostavax has been recommended for and marketed to older patients, who tend to be at a particular risk for shingles. Since the elderly face a higher risk of developing shingles, the vaccine has been promoted as a safe way to curb that risk.

But for a growing number of patients who did get the shot, the risks outweigh the benefits because of the severe side effects. Unfortunately, a reaction to shingles injection has become more common.

The Zostavax vaccine was manufactured for the prevention of shingles but has been associated with a growing list of severe side effects from the patients who received it. Many of these patients argue that they had an adverse reaction to shingles injection shots and that they were never appropriately warned about these complicated side effects prior to receiving the injection.

Dolores says that she received the Zostavax vaccine for typical health maintenance but was not expecting a reaction to shingles injection shots.

She says that shortly after being inoculated with the Zostavax vaccine, she received a painful rash on her neck, scalp and chest. When she presented these symptoms to her doctor, the plaintiff says she was diagnosed with shingles. After getting treatment for shingles, the plaintiff says she continued to suffer from lesions, rashes and significant nerve pain.

The shingles injection lawsuit argues that the plaintiff’s symptoms have led to significant physical limitations that were not present in her body prior to receiving the Zostavax vaccine and that these symptoms have caused emotional and mental distress for the plaintiff.

The lawsuit alleges that manufacturer, Merck, failed to exercise appropriate care in the formulation, design, manufacture, quality assurance, testing, sale, labeling, promotions and distribution of Zostavax because consumers were exposed to significant problems getting a vaccine they thought would help their health.

Shingles is a painful rash that is caused by Varicella Zoster virus. This is the same virus responsible for chickenpox. The virus will not have completely gone away for a person who had chickenpox as a child.

Approximately one million shingles cases are reported each year in the United States and one out of three people in the country will get shingles during their life, according to the CDC.

Shingles is noted in the medical community as a devastating infection that can cause significant discomfort and pain for several weeks. US News and World Report reports that up to one out of every five people will also develop postherpetic neuralgia, which is long term nerve pain that can last for many years.

Anyone who has already been hurt because of a shingles vaccine may have grounds for a lawsuit.

The Reaction to Shingles Injection Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-00753-HB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.