Merck Concealed Gardasil Vaccine Risks from Parents, According to Lawsuit Filed By Teen Diagnosed With POTS

The lawsuit claims Merck knew about Gardasil vaccine risks for years, but decided to protect profits instead of teen patients

A product liability lawsuit filed by a young adult from Maryland claims Merck concealed the potential Gardasil risks from both parents and medical providers, causing her to receive the HPV vaccine and develop postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which has left her with serious and debilitating injuries that will impact the rest of her life.

The complaint (PDF) was filed by Ashlyn Bancroft in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey on January 12, alleging that Merck engaged in “disease mongering” and false advertising to enhance sales of the Gardasil, while concealing the fact that the HPV vaccine can cause a constellation of adverse reactions and conditions, including autoimmune diseases that have quietly impacted teens for decades.

Bancroft joins a growing number of individuals now pursuing a Gardasil vaccine lawsuit against Merck, 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.

Gardasil Vaccine Complications

Gardasil was first introduced in 2006 as a vaccine 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.

Although the HPV vaccine has been promoted as safe, teens and young adults have reported experiencing a variety of problems from Gardasil, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), premature ovarian failure, premature menopause, seizures and other autoimmune disorders, which emerged shortly after receiving the injection.

According to the lawsuit, Bancroft was just 13 when she received her first dose of Gardasil in August 2017. She had no autoimmune diseases or autonomic issues before the injection, the lawsuit indicates. However, soon after receiving the injection, Bancroft began suffering chronic headaches, lack of focus and comprehension and mood swings, and sought medical treatment in November 2017 after she also began to experience dizziness and black outs. These symptoms progressed over time to include other ailments like back pain and palpitations.

She has been since diagnosed with POTS, chronic headaches and mast cell disease, which she indicates was a direct result of the Gardasil vaccine.

Bancroft’s lawsuit indicates Merck knew about these potential risks for years, but concealed information from users and families, as part of a scheme to protect its profits.

“Merck knows and actively conceals the fact that Gardasil can cause a constellation of serious adverse reactions and gruesome diseases, including autoimmune diseases, and death in some recipients,” the lawsuit states. “As a result of Merck’s fraud, Gardasil today is wreaking havoc on a substantial swath of an entire generation of children and young adults on a worldwide scale.”

January 2023 Gardasil Lawsuit Update

This lawsuit will be consolidated with dozens of similar complaints 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 Gardasil injection cases are currently pending 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 2022 and 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 vaccine 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.