A couple from Illinois alleges they are suffering from severe reactions to shingles vaccine, complications that pharmaceutical company Merck allegedly failed to warn about.

The couple filed legal action after discovering other patients had reported similar adverse vaccine reactions soon after getting the Zostavax shot.

Plaintiffs Victoria and Earl V. filed this Zostavax lawsuit alleging Victoria developed shingles, or herpes zoster, despite having been vaccinated against it.

According to the Zostavax lawsuit, Victoria received the vaccine for typical shingles prevention on Sept. 29, 2016. The couple says they had no reason to believe she was in danger of developing long term reactions. However, Victoria reportedly developed a case of herpes zoster after being vaccinated.

While the current Zostavax patient brochure does state that shingles development could still happen after vaccination, the couple alleges that at the time of Victoria’s vaccination, they were given no reason to expect shingles as a long term complication.

According to the Zostavax lawsuit, Victoria is currently contending with permanent physical and emotional distress due to shingles and has also experienced a diminished quality of life.

Victoria and Earl allege that Merck was aware that the vaccine could actually cause shingles to develop, while also failing to warn them that she could suffer much serious side effects including death.

Overview of Zostavax Shingles Vaccine

The Zostavax vaccine was approved by the FDA in May 2006 to prevent the onset of shingles, which is caused by a dormant varicella zoster virus (VZV). This is also the same virus strain responsible for chickenpox, which is thought to go into dormancy for many years after the patient has experienced it.

This means that adult patients who have suffered chickenpox in their childhood have a chance of developing shingles later in life, with many factors playing into how the VZV strain could be reactivated. The CDC currently recommends that patients over the age of 50 years old get the Shingrix vaccine instead of Zostavax.

According to one study, the Zostavax shot reduces the risk of shingles by 51 percent and postherpetic neuralgia by 67 percent. Even with the recent release of Shingrix, Zostavax is likely to remain a popular choice among patients due to the newer vaccine’s expensive price tag.

Even though Zostavax has helped numerous patients over the years, patients have allegedly developed severe reactions to shingles vaccine. According to the FDA, the agency received reports of blindness, paralysis, brain damage, and even death.

These complications spurred the FDA to issue to black box warnings to the vaccine’s label, with Zostavax side effects receiving additional updates in 2016 that included potential vision damage from eye inflammation.

Furthermore, the FDA’s Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) received reports including gastrointestinal disorders, rashes, arthralgia, myalgia, anaphylactic reactions, and necrotizing retinitis. Even though these complications can be devastating to patients, patients claim Merck failed to disclose this information to the public.

At all times relevant, Victoria says she and her physicians were relying on the vaccine information provided by Merck and had no reason to believe she was at risk for severe reactions to shingles vaccine.

Victoria’s Zostavax lawsuit is joining MDL No. 2848, where it will stand alongside other claims alleging similar vaccine reactions.

This Zostavax Lawsuit is Case No. 2:19-cv-00749-HB, in the U.S. District Court of Eastern Pennsylvania.