The national law firm of Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman has filed a Gardasil lawsuit against Merck alleging the multinational pharmaceutical corporation misled regulators and the public about the safety of its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Plaintiff Kayla Carrillo, 20, alleges Gardasil caused her to develop postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), seizure disorder, and infertility, among many other serious health issues.
Attorneys Bijan Esfandiari, Nicole K. H. Maldonado, Michael L. Baum, Monique Alarcon, and co-counsel Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. filed the latest Gardasil lawsuit in Orange County Superior Court on behalf of the plaintiff. The defendants named in the case include Merck & Co., Inc. and its subsidiary, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., both of New Jersey. The case number is 30-2021-01182274-CU-PL-CJC.
The Carrillo case is one of several Gardasil lawsuits Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman has filed in the last sixth months alleging Merck's dangerous and defective HPV vaccine caused plaintiffs to develop severe and life-altering injuries. The firm previously filed cases on behalf of Sahara Walker of Wisconsin, Michael "Mike" Colbath of California, Zach Otto of Colorado, and Julia Balasco of Rhode Island, among others.
All of the plaintiffs in these cases were happy and healthy kids with boundless possibilities in front of them before they received the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Faced with a future of debilitating injuries, they are determined to hold Merck accountable for not only failing to warn them and other consumers about the vaccine's known dangers but also for allegedly running, according to critics, a "deceptive and dishonest" relentless propaganda campaign in the years prior and leading up to the approval of Gardasil, where Merck ran "Tell Someone" commercials designed to strike fear in people about HPV and cervical cancer. The lawsuits also allege Merck engaged in "disease branding" to create a market for its vaccine out of thin air, "seeded" obliging media via third parties with terrifying stories about cervical cancer and guilted parents who failed to inoculate their children with Gardasil.
'I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me…'
Kayla Carrillo was a 12-year-old minor when she received her first shot of Gardasil on August 17, 2012. At the time, she was a happy, talented, physically active girl in her usual state of health. She enjoyed playing musical instruments and had early ambitions to study art.
Like millions of other mothers throughout the country, Marlena Carrillo allowed her daughter to receive Gardasil because she had seen numerous advertisements from Merck on the internet, on television, and in print vouching for the vaccine's safety and efficacy in preventing cervical cancer.
Within 24 hours of the first injection, Kayla experienced a seizure-like episode which included a staring spell, facial swelling, slurred speech, and a severe headache. Days later, Kayla developed migraines, dizziness, and numbness. Over the following months, she also experienced constant and severe migraine headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, rapid heartbeat and palpitations, insomnia, and symptoms of auditory hallucinations and parasomnias.
Other serious health issues developed, and her ongoing symptoms continued or got worse over time:
February 2013 – Kayla experienced a seizure and was taken to the Emergency Department at Orange County Memorial Hospital. A head CT was performed and returned normal. She was diagnosed with a first-time seizure.
March 2013 – After suffering from severe headaches, vomiting, and nausea for about five continuous days, Kayla was taken to the hospital for a dihydroergotamine (DHE) protocol. Although the protocol resolved her nausea and vomiting, she continued to have migraines and occasional hallucinations.
April/May 2014 – Kayla began to experience irregular menstrual problems, including heavy bleeding at the beginning of each cycle. After 6 months of suffering, Marlena Carrillo made an appointment for a consultation with a doctor.
October 2014 – Kayla received her second Gardasil injection during a doctor's office visit to discuss measures to monitor and control her menstrual problems. Two days after receiving the shot, she collapsed at school while running in her P.E. class and was taken to the Emergency Department of Children's Hospital of Orange County.
December 2014 – Kayla's menstrual problems had changed to an absence of menses and severe abdominal pain.
March 2015 – An ultrasound showed that Kayla had a hemorrhagic cyst in her right ovary and large Nabothian cysts in her cervix. Further testing indicated that the cysts were getting larger. In constant pain, Kayla decided to have the cyst on her ovary surgically removed.
May/June 2015 – Kayla experienced several more seizures and was taken to the hospital each time.
After receiving two doses of the Gardasil HPV vaccine, Kayla saw numerous physicians and specialists to treat a multitude of life-altering health issues, including (among others):
- Recurring ovarian cysts requiring surgery
- Constant nausea and abdominal pain
- Multiple seizures
- Feeling faint and lightheaded
- Heart rate irregularities and palpitations
- Chest pains
- Dizziness and blurry vision
- Dyspnea with walking
- Significant fatigue
- Continued menstrual irregularities
- Joint hypermobility
- Hives and facial flushing
- Severe food allergies
Life After the Gardasil Vaccine
Due to the severity and frequency of her symptoms, Kayla was and is unable to engage in the normal activities that a teenager and young adult would enjoy. She was physically unable to attend in-person classes, so she was forced to give up her position playing in the high school orchestra. She likewise could no longer pursue other passions like art and travel the way she did before receiving the Gardasil vaccine.
In constant pain, Kayla has been unable to hold down a job for any significant amount of time. She also cannot drive a car because of the risks of fainting or having a seizure while driving.
Since the age of 15, Kayla has undergone at least one surgery per year on her reproductive organs. Doctors say she will not be able to get pregnant and will not be able to pursue in vitro fertilization (IVF).
"One of the hardest things for a mother to hear is your daughter will not be able to have children," says Marlena Carrillo. "Having to be the one to tell your daughter that she won't be able to get pregnant is a pain that is beyond words. People need to know that these risks are very real. They need to know exactly what they are getting into with Gardasil."
As a result of her post-Gardasil injuries and symptoms, Kayla has experienced a significant decline not just in her physical health, but in her mental health as well. Due to the significant stressors related to her physical injuries and symptoms, she has experienced hallucinations as well as other mental health issues.
"We hear a lot about the devastating impact that Gardasil has had on physical health, especially the long list of severe ailments that our clients continue to suffer from," says Gardasil attorney Nicole K.H. Maldonado. "What can get lost or underrepresented in the face of the physical injuries is the mental health toll that these injuries carry with them."
Last November, Kayla had another surgery to remove a tumor from her reproductive organs. A biopsy revealed that the tumor was benign but had endometriosis, a painful disorder that Kayla continues to suffer from.
"I just wish I had been warned," says Kayla. "If someone had told us these issues were possible, I wouldn't be in this position."
Kayla is currently enrolled at Cypress College where she is pursuing a degree in psychology. She hopes to work as a psychologist for children with disabilities. "Based on what I've been through, I feel like I know firsthand what they are going through and can relate," she says.
Gardasil Lawsuit Allegations: HPV Vaccine Contains Hazardous Ingredients Linked to Autoimmune Diseases and Infertility
The lawsuit alleges that Gardasil caused Kayla to develop serious and debilitating injuries, including but not limited to, dysautonomia, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), orthostatic intolerance (OI), small fiber neuropathy (SNF), neuropathy, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), complex migraine headaches, seizure disorder, vasculitis, eosinophilic esophagitis, endometriosis, and interstitial cystitis, as well as a constellation of adverse symptoms, complications, and injuries. Had Kayla or her mother been warned of the risks of these and other adverse events, she never would have consented to receive the Gardasil vaccine.
According to the complaint, the Gardasil HPV vaccine contains numerous hazardous ingredients, including at least one ingredient Merck failed to disclose to regulators and the public. These hazardous ingredients are responsible for post-Gardasil induced autoimmune diseases in select patients, the lawsuit alleges. One of these ingredients, Polysorbate 80, is associated with many health injuries, including, anaphylaxis, infertility, and cardiac arrest, per the complaint.
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has received more than 64,000 case reports of adverse events after individuals received the Gardasil vaccine. Experts estimate that a mere one percent of vaccine adverse events are reported, meaning the likely number of adverse events related to Gardasil is significantly higher.
According to the complaint, Gardasil has more reported injuries than any other vaccine on the market and the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has paid out millions of dollars in damages for Gardasil-induced injuries and deaths.
About Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman represents hundreds of individuals throughout the nation harmed by the Gardasil HPV vaccine. In practice since 1973, our firm has earned more than $4 billion in verdicts and settlements on behalf of clients.
We understand there is currently a great deal of controversy surrounding vaccines. Our firm wishes to stress that our attorneys and our clients are not against vaccines. They have the potential to eradicate disease and save millions of lives. We are, however, against intentional efforts to mislead consumers about the safety and effectiveness of a drug or vaccine. Our firm has always fought—and will continue to fight—for the rights of consumers to be fully and honestly informed about risks associated with any drug, vaccine, chemical, or medical device. We will work tirelessly to ensure those rights are defended and victims of injustice are compensated for their injuries.
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Our past results do not constitute a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of future cases.
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