Shingles immunization side effects may include hearing loss, according to a recent Zostavax lawsuit filed against Merck & Co. Inc.

Plaintiff Venita S. says she was inoculated with the Zostavax vaccine in December 2016 for the prevention of shingles. Shortly after receiving the vaccination, Venita allegedly suffered from acute bronchitis, skin issues, and hearing loss in her left ear. In her Zostavax lawsuit, Venita claims that she experienced Zostavax immunization side effects due to a defect with the vaccine.

Venita’s husband, Charles S., is also participating in the lawsuit and brings claims of loss of consortium.

Shingles is a condition thought to be caused by the reactivation of the varicella zoster virus, which is the virus that causes chickenpox. After causing the chickenpox disease, the virus can remain dormant in the central nervous system for years. A variety of factors can reactivate the virus including disease, stress, aging, and immune modulation caused by vaccination.

There are a variety of serious side effects which can arise as a result of shingles, which is why it is recommended that older individuals get vaccinated against the condition. Zostavax is a shingles vaccine manufactured by Merck which was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006.

Zostavax is a unique vaccine because it contains a live, weakened version of the shingles vaccine. Although live viruses can be effective in inoculations, they also carry serious risks of infection. If a live virus is insufficiently weakened, it can cause the disease instead of preventing it.

Venita argues that this is what happened with the Zostavax vaccine. An under-weakened virus in the vaccine is allegedly to blame for shingles immunization side effects such as hearing loss. The lawsuit argues that Merck failed to properly warn their consumers about the risks of infection and shingles immunization side effects.

“The patient information sheet, as well as the label and prescribing information for Zostavax at all times relevant hereto, did not adequately, if at all, address the risk of viral infection,” the hearing loss lawsuit claims. “All that was addressed is the concern that a rash and itching might develop at the injection site.”

“This is despite the fact that shingles was a noted occurrence during clinical trials of the vaccine,” the Zostavax lawsuit adds.

A newer and supposedly safer shingles vaccine is allegedly in the works. Shingrix is a new shingles vaccine which was approved by the FDA in October 2017. This vaccine doesn’t use a live virus and instead triggers the body’s response to the virus using proteins. The safer design of the vaccine may lead to fewer shingles immunization side effects for future patients. However, patients like Venita are left with few options other than a Zostavax lawsuit to recover compensation for their injuries allegedly caused by related shingles immunization side effects.

The Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-05001-HB and is part of the Zostavax MDL, In re: Zostavax (Zoster Vaccine Live) Products Liability Litigation, Case No. 18-md-2848, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.