Brigette Honaker  |  September 12, 2019

Category: Legal News

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doctor with shingles shotA woman claims that an adverse reaction to shingles shot Zostavax caused long term injury in the form of hearing loss and vertigo.

Plaintiff Julia P. reportedly got the Zostavax vaccine in September 2017 for the prevention of shingles. Shortly after, Julia allegedly experienced an adverse reaction to shingles shot inoculation that left her with hearing loss and vertigo. Julia recently filed a lawsuit against Zostavax manufacturer Merck, claiming that the company directly lead to her serious, permanent injuries.

“As a tragic consequence of Merck’s wrongful conduct, [Julia] suffered serious, progressive, permanent, and incurable injuries, as well as significant conscious pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, physical impairment and injury,” the Zostavax lawsuit claims.

What is Shingles?

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the varicella zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox. It is thought that the virus remains dormant in the central nervous system long after patients recover from chickenpox. The virus can then be reactivated by a number of factors including age, stress, and illness.

People with shingles usually experience a red rash along a small section of one side of the body, preceded by pain, burning, numbness, or tingling in the same area. The rash often forms a stripe of blisters around the left or right side of the torso, but it can also appear on other parts of the body.

Unfortunately, shingles can lead to serious complications including nerve damage, vision loss, skin infections, and neurological problems. Because of the dangerous complications associated with the viral infection, it is recommended that people over 60 years of age get vaccinated.

There are two shingles vaccinations available: Zostavax and Shingrix. Zostavax uses a weakened live virus to inoculate patients while Shingrix uses a recombinant virus to elicit an immune response. Zostavax has been around since 2006 while Shingrix has only been available since 2017.

Both shingles vaccine may cause side effects, according to Healthline.com, such as redness, swelling, itching, or soreness near the injection site. A dangerous allergic reaction called anaphylaxis may also occur if patients are allergic to any part of the shingles vaccine.

Although both Zostavax and Shingrix have the potential for side effects, having an adverse reaction to shingles shot Zostavax may be more common and may result in more severe side effects. Some consumers, like Julia, have even taken legal action against Merck – claiming that the live virus in Zostavax is not sufficiently weakened which results in unexpected side effects.

Side effects of Zostavax reportedly include shingles, as well as hearing loss, necrotizing retinitis, retinal uveitis, neurological disorders, vision loss (including complete blindness), Ramsay Hunt, paralysis, and more. Some conditions may even lead to death, including shingles, acute myelitis, Bell’s Palsy, and encephalitis.

Due to the side effects of Zostavax, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) follows ACIP recommendations by encouraging the use of Shingrix as the preferred shingles vaccine. Shingrix is also preferred because it can be used in individuals with compromised immune systems.

The Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-03850-HB and is part of the Zostavax MDL, In re: Zostavax (Zoster Vaccine Live) Products Liability Litigation, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Join a Free Zostavax Shingles Vaccine Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

You may qualify to join a free Zostavax lawsuit investigation if you or a close relative were diagnosed with one of the following conditions within the past two years and within six months of being vaccinated with Zostavax:

  • Necrotizing retinitis
  • Ramsay Hunt
  • Vision loss or blindness documented by a doctor
  • Retinal uveitis leading to vision loss or blindness diagnosed by a doctor
  • Paralysis
  • Acute myelitis
  • Bell’s palsy
  • Encephalitis
  • Death from shingles or from any other condition on this list

Serious neurological disorders and hearing loss may also qualify. Fill out the form on this page now for a FREE case evaluation.

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