The Zostavax vaccination reportedly causes a debilitating shingle vaccine reaction, according to recent allegations by a vaccine recipient.

Shingles is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella zoster virus) due to a variety of factors including age and stress. Unlike chickenpox, individuals can become ill with shingles multiple times.

The disease typically presents itself in the form of a painful rash, often a single stripe of blisters which wraps around the side of the torso. Shingles can result in a variety of complications including postherpetic neuralgia (prolonged pain after healing), vision loss, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), facial paralysis, hearing problems, balance problems, other neurological complications, and skin infections.

Because of the serious complications that can happen due to shingles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that individuals over 60 years of age receive a shingles vaccine to prevent the condition. The CDC notes that both Shingrix and Zostavax are available but that Shingrix is the “preferred vaccine”.

Unlike Shingrix, which uses a recombinant zoster vaccine that stimulates the immune response through portions of DNA, Zostavax uses a live but weakened varicella zoster virus to inoculate the immune system. This mechanism may make Zostavax dangerous and more likely to cause a shingle vaccine reaction.

Plaintiff Gary R. reportedly received the Zostavax vaccine in September 2013 to prevent shingles. Shortly after being inoculated with Zostavax, Gary allegedly developed a shingle vaccine reaction characterized by blurry vision, floaters, and black swirls in his vision.

He was later diagnosed with posterior vitreous detachment (changes to the gel inside the eyeball), retinal detachment (retina pulls away from its normal position in the eye), and blepharitis (inflammation of the eyelid).

Gary claims that his eye problems were a direct result of complications associated with Zostavax and that he was not sufficiently warned of the issues associated with the shingles vaccine.

According to Gary’s lawsuit, the virus in Zostavax may be insufficiently weakened before being used in the vaccine. This allegedly creates an increased risk of developing shingles along with other complications. Under attenuated varicella zoster virus has allegedly been shown to recombine with other viruses to cause more severe illnesses.

As a result of the allegedly under attenuated, numerous vaccine adverse event reports were reportedly filed with regulatory authorities. These reported that patients who received the Zostavax vaccine experience adverse side effects including viral infections resulting in central nervous system diseases.

Since the drug’s release in 2006, manufacturers have reportedly added a variety of warnings to labels to warn of the potential for encephalitis, cerebrovascular accident, traverse myelitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Bell’s palsy, ataxia, non-febrile seizures, aseptic meningitis, dizziness, and paresthesia.

Although these labels now exist, Gary claims that he was not sufficiently warned that he may experience severe, life-changing optical side effects as a result of the Zostavax vaccine. He aims to hold Merck & Co. accountable for allegedly producing a defective vaccine which causes harm to patients such as himself.

The Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-00434-HB and is part of the Zostavax Shingles 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.