An Indiana woman has filed a lawsuit against Merck & Co. Inc. and Merck Sharpe & Dohme Corp. (Merck) regarding their Zostavax vaccine after allegedly suffering an adverse reaction to shingles injection.

Plaintiff Norene V. claims to have experienced an adverse reaction after she was injected with the shingles vaccine Zostavax on June 11, 2017. The day following her vaccination, she says she began to experience side effects. She claims to have suffered a sudden and significant speech deficit, as well as deficits to the right side of her body. After this sudden and severe reaction, Norene was hospitalized and diagnosed with acute ischemia cerebral infarction, or an insufficient amount of blood flow to the brain that often results in brain damage.

Norene claims in her lawsuit that this condition has resulted in physical limitations, as well as extreme mental distress. She claims that her injuries are severe, permanent, progressive, and debilitating. Due to these injuries, she alleges to have experienced pain, stress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

What is Zostavax?

Zostavax is a vaccination marketed by Merck with the intended purpose of preventing shingles in adults over 50. Shingles is a condition that presents as an itchy or painful rash with blisters. Although it may appear anywhere, it is most often located in a strip across the torso. Along with a rash, shingles may also cause headaches, fatigue, or sensitivity to light.Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV). VZV is the also the virus that causes chickenpox. Once you have contracted chickenpox, the virus remains in your system for many years. Many factors can reactivate the virus, including stress, disease, and aging. Once reactivated, the virus can manifest as shingles. Zostavax was approved by the FDA in early 2006 as a single dose shot for the treatment of shingles. Zostavax is essentially a stronger version of the same vaccine used to treat chickenpox, and contains live VZV. The live VZV has been reduced, and is intended to activate the immune system without infecting the patient with shingles. However, may be a a risk that the live virus has not been weakened enough and can cause patients to develop the disease that the vaccine is meant to prevent.

Signs of a Reaction to Shingles Injection

Merck lists several possible side effects of Zostavax, and the FDA has received reports of many more. Possible reactions to Zostavax may include:

• A local reaction to shingles injection at the injection site
• Fever
• Joint or muscle aches or pains
• Nausea
• Development of chickenpox or shingles
• Blindness or vision damage caused by eye inflammation
• Paralysis
• Brain damage
• Death

Reaction to Shingles Injection Lawsuits

Several lawsuits have been filed regarding adverse reactions to Zostavax. If you have been been injured or suffered an adverse side effect after receiving a Zostavax injection, you may qualify to join a free Zostavax investigation.Norene’s Reaction to Shingles Injection Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-05425-HB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.