Lawsuit Alleges Gardasil Caused POTS, Chronic Fatigue and Other Symptoms After HPV Vaccine

A recently filed lawsuit indicates a teenager experienced a progression of symptoms caused by the Gardasil HPV vaccine, which started with a sore throat and ultimately resulted in seizures, respiratory failure and other illnesses, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which contributed to a complete failure of her health and almost resulted in her death.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Hannah Davis on March 9, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina. Like a growing number of similar claims, the lawsuit accuses Merck & Co. of failing to properly research the side effects of the Gardasil HPV vaccine, and deceptively marketing the injection as safe and effective.

Gardasil was first introduced in 2006, for prevention of HPV infections, which can be sexually transmitted and lead to the later development of cervical cancer. Following years of aggressive marketing by the drug maker, the vaccine has been commonly administered to young girls and boys before adolescence and potential sexual activity.

However, in recent years, a number of teens and young adults have reported Gardasil caused POTS and other autoimmune disorders, which emerged shortly after receiving the injection.

Merck now faces Gardasil lawsuits brought by individuals nationwide, each indicating they were diagnosed with conditions that were never disclosed to parents or the medical community, even though the manufacturer knew or should have known about the risks.

Davis indicates she was 17 when she received her first Gardasil HPV vaccine injection in June 2016. She had just recovered from mononucleosis and jaundice, so when she complained of sore throat, fatigue, and a low-grade fever, doctors immediately checked to see if the mononucleosis had returned. However, lab tests showed it had not, and doctors continued to be mystified as symptoms progressed to mouth ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and other health problems.

“As the months progressed, so did Plaintiff’s symptoms,” the lawsuit states. “She was seen by multiple physicians and specialists for her complaints which now included: sore throat, mouth ulcers, joint pain, chest pain, headaches, photosensitivity, extreme fatigue, near syncope, irregular heartbeat, tachycardia, menstrual issues, pharyngeal swelling, chronic tonsillitis, painful blisters on lips and mouth, rash and bruising, ecchymosis, edema, ovarian and pelvic pain, numbness, tingling, stiffness in joints, insomnia, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal issues, poor digestion, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, brain fog, episodes of confusion and disorientation, and trouble concentrating.”

That was followed by seizures, which led to Davis blacking out behind the wheel while driving through an intersection, resulting in an auto accident which left her with a fractured spine, which became curved because of her injury. Shortly after she was diagnosed with new onset seizure disorder, and a few months later she was diagnosed with POTS, which is a serious medical condition that cause lightheadedness, fainting and rapid heartbeat, usually triggered when a person stands up after lying down.

Davis indicates that the health problems caused by Gardasil continued to worsen, leading to a diagnosis of acute respiratory failure, which left her comatose and suffering from pneumonia, and then sepsis. She survived and underwent rehabilitation therapy, but Davis can no longer participate in normal everyday activities due to her numerous health problems, and struggles with daily living.

The lawsuit indicates her ailments are the result of the side effects of the Gardasil vaccine, which caused POTS, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, mast cell activation syndrome, Bechet’s disease, common variable immunodeficiency, seizures, acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, bilateral pneumonia, leukocytosis, amenorrhea, degenerative disc disease, dextrose scoliosis, migraines, ovarian cysts, cervical somatic dysfunction, mixed headache disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (“ADHD”), depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder.

March 2023 Gardasil Lawsuit Update

The complaint filed by Davis will be consolidated with dozens of similar claims pending in a federal Gardasil MDL (multidistrict litigation), which was established in August 2022. Given common questions of fact and law presented in the claims, all HPV vaccine Gardasil lawsuits are centralized before U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad in the Western District of North Carolina for coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings.

As parties continue to work with the Court on the organizational structure of the Gardasil vaccine litigation over the remainder of early 2023, lawyers continue to investigate and file lawsuits for individuals who experienced a variety of complications linked to side effects of Gardasil, including:

• Autoimmune Diseases
• POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)
• Premature Ovarian Failure
• Premature Menopause
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
• Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
• Irregular Heartbeat/Tachycardia
• Lupus
• Neurologic Disorder
• Brain Fog or Chronic Inability to Concentrate
• Chronic Fatigue
• Chronic Pain
• Severe Headaches
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Fibromyalgia
• Nerve Damage
• Menstrual Disorders/Problems
• Gastrointestinal Issues (food intolerances, nausea, vomiting)

Following coordinated discovery and any bellwether trials in the federal MDL, if the parties fail to reach Gardasil lawsuit settlements or another resolution for the litigation, Judge Conrad may later establish a process to begin remanding each individual claim back to U.S. District Courts nationwide for individual trial dates in the future.