Zostavax is an approved vaccination manufactured by Merck Co. Inc. utilized to prevent the contraction of the shingles virus, known as herpes zoster. However, the vaccine has been shown to cause possible serious side effects in those who take it, and has resulted in lawsuits and class action suits against the company for failure to warn of possible dangers associated with the vaccine. If you or a loved one has experienced harm following inoculation with the vaccine, contact Altman & Altman LLP today.
Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox, varicella-zoster, although it is not known exactly why or how the virus – which goes dormant and resides in your body after healing from chickenpox – reoccurs as shingles in people over the age of 50. Regardless, shingles causes a painful rash in those afflicted, and can reoccur numerous times in those susceptible to it.
Symptoms associated with recognized side effects caused by the Zostavax vaccination include:
- Redness, pain, itching, swelling, hard lump, warmth, or bruising where the shot was given.
- Headache
- Allergic reactions, which may be serious and may include difficulty in breathing or swallowing.
- Contraction of chickenpox
- Fever
- Hives at the injection site
- Joint pain/muscle pain
- Nausea
- Rash on body, normally at the injection site
- Contraction of shingles
- Swollen glands near the injection site
- Guillain-Barré syndrome (muscle weakness, abnormal sensations, tingling in the arms, legs, and
upper body)
- Partial facial paralysis
However, these symptoms that are recognized by Merck are not the only symptoms that have been reported by those who have taken the Zostavax vaccine. In fact, there have been much more severe side effects noted that have been reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and prompted recent legal action against the company, including:
- Blindness or damage to eyesight, including necrotizing retinitis
- Paralysis
- Brain damage
- Death – at least 36 on record
- Gastrointestinal disorders