The Zostavax vaccine is a shingles vaccine that is meant to arm the immune system of individuals so they do not get shingles later on in life. Shingles is an unbearably painful viral infection which typically only affects one side of the body, particularly the trunk and arm, and it can cause disabling pain and last for a week or two. Shingles is particularly dangerous in individuals who are older because it can cause severe complications such as viral pneumonia or even affect the eyes, causing temporary or permanent blindness depending on how strong or weak the individual’s immune system is. The Zostavax vaccine was marketed as being completely safe until it wasn’t when it was discovered that the live, attenuated virus contained in the vaccine was apparently too strong for the immune system of some people.
Are you looking to file a Zostavax lawsuit? If you suffered severe, life-threatening conditions after taking the Zostavax vaccine, we’re here to help. The Zostavax lawyers at McCready Law have for over 90 YEARS helped individuals such as you get the justice and compensation they deserve. Please call us NOW at (773) 906-4833 for your FREE consultation into how to get started with a Zostavax vaccine lawsuit. We work on contingency fee basis, and what this means is that we don’t charge you anything while we work on your case, and only do so when we’ve recovered compensation on your behalf. If you were severely injured by the Zostavax shingle vaccine, we can help. Please contact us NOW at (773) 906-4833 to learn more about your legal options for compensation. Accepting Zostavax lawsuit applicants countrywide.
What is the Zostavax Vaccine?
Zostavax is a herpes vaccine that is used to help prevent the occurrence of herpes zoster, otherwise known as shingles, in individuals over the age of 60. This vaccine is not given to children, and it goes to work by helping boost the body’s natural defense system against the herpes zoster virus. It is administered as a single dose, and it uses an attenuated or weakened virus so that the immune system can wake up and create antibodies to the virus so that when it reawakens at a much later time, the immune system already knows how to beat it on account of the cellular antibody memory that was created during the administration of said vaccine. It is alleged that the Zostavax vaccine lasts for 6 years, and that it only works on half the individuals that receive it.
Zostavax Side-Effects
Zostavax has been shown to be particularly dangerous as it has even caused fatalities in some cases. According to the FDA Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, over 1000 severe and life-threatening reactions were reported and out of these, 8 percent were due to the death of the patient that received the vaccine.
It is important to note that the adverse reactions associated with Zostavax have been known about since 2016. In fact, the FDA was the recipient of information regarding the same where it was alleged that Zostavax vaccine was causing brain damage, paralysis, blindness and death, which prompted the government agency to ask the makers of the drug to include black box warnings twice on their packaging. In addition, vision damage was one of the warnings that the FDA asked the pharmaceutical company to add to the side-effects in the medication packaging in 2016.
Here are some of the complications associated with Zostavax:
- Hearing loss
- Paralysis
- Necrotizing retinitis
- Retinal Uveitis leading to blindness
- Ramsay Hunt disease
- Joint and muscle pain
- Hematoma
- Pruritus or itchiness
- Pulmonary edema or the buildup of fluid in one’s lungs
Zostavax Causing Shingles
Unfortunately, those whose immune systems cannot handle Zostavax may be at risk of shingles, a painful skin condition that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. Shingles, left untreated, may cause severe nerve damage, meningitis, encephalitis and even make individuals more susceptible to pneumonia, stroke and heart failure.
Merck and Zostavax – The Facts
Merck is the pharmaceutical company that received an official approval to create and market Zostavax to the general public. In addition to lowering one’s risk of contracting shingles, Zostavax was also used to prevent chickenpox, and it is commonly prescribed to individuals living with HIV due to their lowered immunity and propensity to contract shingles.
It is alleged that Merck was able to make $749 million in revenues by marketing and selling Zostavax. However, it conveniently forgot to let individuals know about the risk of the drug causing the same diseases that the drug was allegedly being marketed as being able to prevent. Merck therefore committed an illegal act when it failed to warn the general public about this risk, exposing countless number of people to said risks and health complications, some of which may be permanent or fatal.
Zostavax Shingles Lawsuit – Do I Have a Case?
Failure to warn makes it possible for you to file a Zostavax lawsuit in order to recover damages under product liability law. It is important to note that companies are duty-bound to manufacture products and medications that meet certain safety standards because the lives of the general public are at stake. Producing defective products or at the very least failing to warn the public and then not issuing a recall notice in a timely manner puts the lives of individuals at risk which is essentially unnecessary and unavoidable. Armed with information regarding the possible side-effects associated with Zostavax vaccine, consumers would have been able to make informed decisions regarding whether or not they would have wanted to take said medication, or if they wanted to seek out alternatives.
Zostavax Class Action Lawsuit – Call To File Today!
Zostavax lawsuits are currently slated to be heard this summer and later in the year. However, it is not too late to file a claim. The lawsuits will most likely be consolidated into an MDL, which is a form of class action lawsuit, only more efficient with regard to processing. We’d love to help you with regard to the filing process, and we invite you to give us a call NOW at (773) 906-4833. The call is ABSOLUTELY FREE, and there’s absolutely no legal obligation. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing from you.