Study: Shingrix Vaccine is Superior to Zostavax
Canadian researchers have found that the Shingrix shingles vaccine outperformed Zostavax when it comes to preventing the disease. They came to their conclusions after reviewing the records of more than 2 million shingles patients. The findings come at a time when Merck, the manufacturer of Zostavax, is facing lawsuits from patients throughout the country who say the drug caused severe complications.
The Findings
According to the researchers, Shingrix was 85 percent more effective than Zostavax in reducing symptoms associated with shingles. They came to this conclusion after reviewing nearly 30 studies involving more than two million shingles patients over the age of 50. The studies were conducted between 1998 and 2017.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has also stated that Shingrix is a superior alternative to Zostavax. According to the CDC, Shingrix is more than 90 percent effective at preventing shingles, while Zostavax reduces the risk of shingles by only 51 percent.
Zostavax Complications
Zostavax is designed to reduce the presence of shingles, a painful infection that is also known as herpes zoster. This is the same virus that causes chickenpox. While chickenpox typically affects children, shingles usually appears in people 50 years and older. The shingles infection is characterized by a severe, often painful rash that usually takes about a month to clear up on its own.
However, many patients have suffered severe health complications after receiving the Zostavax vaccine. These include numbness, burning pain, depression, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. Patients have also reported paralysis due to spinal cord inflammation.
As a result, plaintiffs are filing lawsuits against Merck. They claim the company not only lied about the effectiveness of Zostavax but also failed to warn doctors and patients of possible severe side effects. Plaintiffs also allege that Merck knew about these complications yet purposely chose to continue marketing Zostavax.
Please contact Baron & Budd if you received a Zostavax injection and later developed health problems. Contact us online or call 866-723-1890 for more information.