A California woman recently filed a new Zostavax lawsuit against pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co., alleging the company’s shingles vaccine caused her to suffer from serious and lasting side effects.

According to her lawsuit, the plaintiff, Patrice R., was inoculated with the Zostavax vaccine on May 30, 2017 in order to prevent shingles (also known as herpes zoster). Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Patrice says she began suffering from intense vertigo, along with constant severe joint and muscle pain.

This pain allegedly affected multiple parts of her body, including her knees, hips, shoulders, neck, upper back, and left third finger. She was diagnosed with Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) and inflammatory myopathy. These physical issues also caused her mental and emotional distress, as well as medical expenses.

Patrice filed her Zostavax lawsuit on Dec. 26, 2018, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The lawsuit was filed on multiple counts, including negligence, design and manufacturing defect, failure to warn, and breach of express and implied warranties, among others.

Basics of Zostavax

Zostavax is a shingles vaccine manufactured by Merck, and is used to immunize adults over 50 against shingles. Zostavax was brought onto the market in May 2006 after its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.

Zostavax Complications

Side effects of the Zostavax shingles vaccine reportedly appear within 0 to 6 months of administration. Merck’s patient information sheet for Zostavax mentions relatively mild side effects like headaches, local reaction, fever, joint pain, muscle pain, nausea, and chickenpox or shingles.

Unfortunately, the Zostavax vaccine has been linked with some other serious complications, which may be lasting or even permanent in nature.

Reported Zostavax shingles vaccine side effects include:

• Hearing loss
• Necrotizing Retinitis
• Neurological disorders
• Ramsay Hunt
• Retinal Uveitis
• Vision loss
• Paralysis
• Acute myelitis
• Bell’s Palsy
• Encephalitis

The FDA has added black box warnings to Zostavax labels over side effects like these.

Filing a Zostavax Lawsuit

If you or a loved one have suffered from these or other side effects after receiving the Zostavax shingles vaccine, you may be able to file a Zostavax lawsuit. While filing a lawsuit cannot undo the pain and suffering caused by shingles vaccine side effects, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden caused by medical expenses and lost wages.

Those who may qualify to join this investigation have been given the Zostavax shingles vaccine, were diagnosed with one of the listed side effects within 6 months of taking the vaccine, and were diagnosed within the last two years.

The Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:18-cv-05549-HB, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.