Washington DC Injury Lawyer Blog
Tracy Wolf has filed a dangerous drug lawsuit in the US Court of Federal Claims in Washington DC. She is suing the Secretary of Health and Human Services over injuries that she says her teenage daughter sustained from taking the HPV vaccine.
The vaccine is supposed to prevent women from getting cervical cancer. However, Wolf says that after taking a three-shot series of Gardasil in 2007 and 2008, her 16-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a number of health issues, including encephalitis, a seizure disorder, and physical and behavioral problems. Wolf says that one month after her daughter took the first injection, the teenager started to exhibit “significant negative” behavioral changes and physical problems, including heart palpitations.
Gardasil
Manufactured by Merck and Co, Gardasil is supposed to prevent four kinds of human papillomavirus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two of these HPV types are the cause of approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases. The National Institutes of Health says that about 4,000 women a year die from this disease.
The Food and Drug Administration says the vaccine is effective, safe, and provides benefits that “outweigh the risks.” However, Wolf’s personal injury lawyer contends that this is not the case. This is the second injuries to a minor lawsuit that the attorney has filed this year over Gardasil’s alleged side effects.
FDA and CDC researchers say that some 12,400 adverse side effects linked to Gardasil injections were reported through December 2008. 772 of these were noted as serious. 32 resulted in fatalities. However, no common pattern was found to suggest the vaccine caused the deaths.
However, others have pointed to Gardasil as the cause of:
• Seizures
• Blood clots
• Bells palsy
• Paralysis
• Fetal abnormalities
• Spontaneous abortions
• Death
Last month, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed accusing Gardasil of causing a 16-year-old girl’s wrongful death. The teenager reportedly collapsed while having a seizure after receiving her third Gardasil shot. She died at the hospital.
NM woman sues, alleges HPV Vaccine Hurt Daughter, AP, May 3, 2010
Hpv Vaccine Kills 16-Year-Old Girl Lawsuit Alleges, Drugs.com, April 21, 2010
Related Web Resources:
Human Papillomavirus (HPV), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention