Teenagers and young adults across the country are filing Gardasil lawsuits against its manufacturer Merck, claiming that the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine shots left them with serious injuries and pain, including possibly life-threatening autoimmune illnesses and cancers. Allegations made in the Gardasil lawsuits claim that the advantages of the vaccine are minimal and overshadowed by the potential risks of the vaccine.
If you know you are suffering from an autoimmune disease or any other health issue that resulted from the Gardasil HPV vaccine, you can contact the Consumer Alert Now. We can put you in touch with an experienced attorney or assist you in joining a mass tort for compensation.
An Overview of Gardasil HPV Vaccine
Human papillomavirus is a widespread virus that spreads easily through skin-to-skin contact. According to the CDC, HPV is by far the most common form of sexually transmitted disease in the United States, and according to estimates, two-thirds of adults will contract HPV at some point in their lives since its the most prevalent STD. The majority of HPV infections are completely harmless; however, a relatively small proportion of HPV infections have the potential to cause cervical cancer in women.
The vaccine manufacturer, Merck, had fast-tracked authorization for the Gardasil vaccine from the Food and Drug Administration in 2006. The FDA authorized the initial Gardasil formula in June of 2006, as well as the latest version, Gardasil-9, in December of 2014, to help prevent anal cancer, cervical cancer, and vaginal cancer, as well as genital warts in girls who are between the ages of 9 and 26, as well as boys between the ages of nine and 15.
The clearance of Gardasil in 2006 came shortly after Merck's Vioxx crisis, which resulted in billion-dollar losses for the corporation. Gardasil was anticipated to be Merck's next great blockbuster drug and help the company recover from its dire financial situation.
Unfortunately, Merck seems to have learned almost nothing from their Vioxx disaster since they seem to have made most similar errors again.
What is the Human Papillomavirus (HPV)?
The human papillomavirus is referred to as HPV. HPV is a form of virus that dwells inside the skin and is extremely common. Medical experts have found more than 200 distinct Human papillomavirus strains. About two-thirds of the HPV variants are essentially benign and show no symptoms. There are a few HPV strains that have been linked to growths in the skin and mucous membranes. The growths are usually referred to as "warts." Human papillomavirus is extremely contagious through skin-to-skin contact, especially sexual as well as other bodily contacts like kissing. Most of the identified HPV strains—about 40—are spread largely through intercourse.
Because genital HPV is so common, researchers predict that over 75 percent of sexually active adults will contract it at a certain stage in life. Many genital HPV patients experience no physical indicators whatsoever, and the virus completely disappears by itself without the patient even being aware that they had been infected. Genital warts can be brought on by 2 of the forty genital HPV variants.
The majority of HPV infections go undetected and disappear by themselves without leaving any lasting effects. Some HPV strains, nonetheless, may not go away and may eventually result in unusual growths that may turn cancerous. These HPV variants are referred to as "high-risk" HPV.
Only 12 out of the Forty genital HPV variants are considered high-risk and may eventually cause cancer. Over 80 percent of the total cancer occurrences are caused by two of the 12 high-risk HPV strains.
High-risk Human papillomavirus is particularly a problem since it can lead to cervical cancer in women. These HPV strains have the potential to gradually develop abnormal tumors on cervical tissues. These growths frequently progress into cervical cancer when they're not quickly removed. Pap smear tests are used to find these growths and take them out before they progress to cervical cancer. Even though cervical cancer has been the most prevalent kind, HPV could also induce penis and anal cancers.
Problems with the Gardasil Vaccine
Gardasil shots have been extensively prescribed for young boys and girls before reaching adolescence and possible sexual involvement to develop "boost immunity" including preventing the spread of Human papillomavirus infections despite significant concerns regarding the vaccine's efficacy.
Thousands of teenagers, as well as adults, have, unfortunately, complained of severe and incapacitating Gardasil adverse effects since they received the HPV vaccine. Among the most noticeable is postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS. This has been a constant nightmare for the parents whose children encountered serious adverse responses to Gardasil. They all believed Gardasil, not realizing the serious illnesses and impairments that could occur as a result.
In the Gardasil lawsuits, Merck is accused of concealing details regarding the vaccine's risks and refusing to alert both patients and the general public to any potential negative consequences of the Human Papillomavirus vaccine.
Merck omitted important information about the risks and efficacy (or lack thereof) of Gardasil. Additionally, during the approval phases, Merck did not carry out comprehensive and acceptable medical examinations and research. The clinical studies Merck conducted solely looked at if Gardasil might prevent probable precursor illnesses rather than if it could help prevent cancer. Then Merck presented false information claiming that the "precursor problems" inevitably lead to cancer.
How Merck Used Deceptive Marketing Campaigns to Publicize Gardasil
Before and even after Gardasil was approved, Merck invested in deceptive marketing strategies intended to exaggerate both the dangers of HPV as well as the alleged efficiency of Gardasil to intimidate the populace into approving mass vaccination.
There existed little to no market for an HPV vaccination before the introduction of Gardasil because there wasn't any HPV public health crisis in the United States and very few women were even aware of the disease. Merck conducted years of extensive HPV "awareness" marketing before the release of Gardasil to guarantee the commercial profitability of its newfound "holy grail."
After Gardasil was cleared for use in young girls, Merck commenced a vigorous propaganda effort to make parents who chose not to immunize their children with Gardasil feel guilty. Merck's campaign indicated that "responsible parents" use Gardasil to vaccinate their daughters against HPV.
Merck falsely withheld the HPV vaccine's proven risks and consequences during these intense marketing campaigns while overstating its effectiveness. The most intensive vaccine marketing effort ever launched by Merck was used to push the Gardasil vaccine, with the drug company paying more for marketing for Gardasil than for any other vaccination before it.
Along with its vigorous marketing campaign, Merck pushed state governments to have every schoolchild receive the Gardasil vaccine through political lobbying and financial enticements. In 2004, Merck began funneling millions of dollars into political lobbyist organizations including NACCHO and Women in Government. These groups then began actively lobbying lawmakers around the nation to impose the Gardasil vaccine for all sixth-grader girls.
In addition to paying these lobby groups, Merck contributed millions in outright funding to regional health agencies as well as payments to political causes. The Maryland Department of Health received $92 million from Merck from 2012 to 2018 to promote the Gardasil vaccine in public schools. This financing essentially compensated school administrators to mislead parents and children about the necessity of the Gardasil vaccination.
Merck Exaggerated Gardasil's Efficacy
Gardasil lawsuits argue that Merck exaggerated the vaccine's effectiveness by falsely claiming that it prevents cancer of the cervix to persuade legislators and health authorities to endorse Gardasil. There is no solid evidence that Gardasil protects against cervical cancer.
Also, Merck refused to spend the money or resources required to conduct the tests that would demonstrate that their vaccine helps prevent cervical cancer. Rather, Merck persuaded authorities to permit them to employ "surrogate endpoints" to prove its hypothesis that the vaccines would be successful in averting cervical cancer. Without any proof that the vaccines will ultimately prevent cancer, Merck was able to reduce the clinical studies to several years and obtain regulatory authorization for the vaccines.
A study by Sage Journals, published in January 2020, cast serious doubt on Merck's assertion that the Gardasil vaccine prevents cervical cancer. The report emphasizes the lack of evidence supporting Gardasil's ability to prevent cervical cancer.
Gardasil Can Trigger or Increase the Likelihood of Auto-Immune Diseases
HPV LI-DNA and Amorphous Aluminum Hydroxyphosphate Sulfate (AAHS) are two elements in Gardasil that have been linked to autoimmune issues in the past.
Critics maintain that Merck utilized these substances in the placebos administered to "control" study participants during clinical studies and that this resulted in an insufficient understanding of the detrimental consequences of Gardasil.
These substances have been tied to immunological reactions, elevated blood-brain barrier porosity, issues with the motor and cognitive functions, and muscular macrophagic myofasciitis. Additionally, it is thought that they can disrupt cell-to-cell interactions, disrupt neuronal-glial connections, obstruct synaptic transmissions, affect protein and enzyme functioning, and even alter DNA.
Families across the country have reported that Gardasil's negative consequences have been connected to a variety of health issues, such as:
- Severe inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
- Guillain–Barré syndrome
- Regional Pain Syndrome
- Small fiber neuropathy (SNF)
- Orthostatic Intolerance
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
- Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Fibromyalgia
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Persistent Fatigue Syndrome
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Premature Ovarian Failure
- Dysautonomia
- Cognitive Dysfunction
- Joint Pain
- Migraines
Gardasil Vaccine Injuries and Deaths
In 1990, the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) was created as a tool for identifying vaccine issues. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in charge of managing the system.
The VAERS database has over 64,000 incident records of adverse effects related to HPV vaccinations from all across the world as of January 14, 2020, and over 50,000 reported in the country. Over 9,600 patients reported significant adverse effects, including 547 fatalities. Serious adverse effects are described as adverse responses that cause death, pose a serious risk to life, necessitate hospitalization or extend a stay in the hospital, or cause major or long-lasting impairment. However, only around 1% of major adverse occurrences are submitted to VAERS, according to these estimates.
Merck's Gardasil vaccine is responsible for the great percentage of HPV vaccine incidents, severe cases, as well as deaths listed in VAERS. For instance, Merck is mentioned in 399 of the fatality cases in VAERS (that makes up 73 percent of the total cases).
Gardasil Lawsuits
A growing number of Gardasil HPV claims against Merck have been filed in response to the increasing body of scientific data linking the Gardasil vaccine with autoimmune diseases. The first Gardasil lawsuits were filed in the latter part of 2020. Throughout 2021, the number of Gardasil lawsuits grew gradually but progressively. Now, as more people become aware of the problems with Gardasil, more people are filing lawsuits against the manufacturer, and Gardasil HPV vaccine attorneys are beginning to realize the enormous scale of these lawsuits.
Women (and a few males) who got the Gardasil vaccine and later acquired autoimmune disorders or other severe health conditions associated with Gardasil, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), are among the claimants in these Gardasil cases.
According to the Gardasil lawsuits, Merck misrepresented that Gardasil might prevent cervical cancer whilst deceptively hiding information regarding the vaccine's health dangers. In the Gardasil litigation, Merck is being sued on a variety of torts, including common product liability torts including negligence, failing to warn, and manufacturing defects. Additionally, they contain fraud allegations that are uncommon in product liability suits.
Gardasil Lawyers Analyzing Cases Countrywide
Compensation from the Gardasil lawsuits could be provided due to Merck's refusal to sufficiently investigate and research Gardasil before releasing it onto the market or appropriately notify users, their families, or the healthcare sector of the danger connected with the vaccine.
Many parents might not have chosen to receive the vaccinations if they had been informed of the potential negative effects of the Gardasil vaccine, which could have prevented injuries and fatalities.
Find a Gardasil HPV Vaccine Mass Tort Lawsuit Near Me
If you or your loved one experienced major adverse effects after receiving a Gardasil injection, we invite you to contact Consumer Alert Now to find out more about your options. We provide information to people who have been affected by drugs and vaccines like Gardasil and assist them in filing mass tort lawsuits to obtain the compensation they deserve. Our services are available nationwide. Contact us at 800-511-0747 today.
