Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman has filed multiple lawsuits against Merck & Co., Inc. and its subsidiary, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., over the Gardasil human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Our firm’s latest Gardasil lawsuit was filed on behalf of Plaintiff Kayla Carrillo, age 20, who alleges that the vaccine led her to develop various serious health problems: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a seizure disorder, and infertility, among other issues.
We filed the suit in Orange County Superior Court, alleging that Merck misled regulators and the public about the safety of the Gardasil HPV vaccine. The attorneys advocating for Ms. Carrillo include Bijan Esfandiari, Michael L. Baum, and Monique Alarcon, as well as co-counsel Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.. The case number is 30-2021-01182274-CU-PL-CJC.
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman’s Gardasil Cases
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman represents individuals suffering from post-Gardasil injuries in several ongoing cases. Each case alleges Gardasil caused our clients’ severe, life-changing injuries.
Some of our most recent Gardasil HPV vaccine injury cases were filed on behalf of four young adults:
Before the Gardasil vaccine, our clients were happy and healthy kids; however, they all developed a host of ever-worsening health issues following vaccination. As such, they are determined to hold Merck accountable based on the following allegations, among others:
- Negligence for failing to appropriately and adequately test the safety and efficacy of Gardasil and its individual ingredients and adjuvants, among other failures;
- Failing to warn consumers of Gardasil’s dangers;
- Manufacturing defect;
- Running the fearmongering “Tell Someone” campaign on HPV and cervical cancer;
- Creating a market for its vaccine via “disease branding”; and
- Running a propaganda campaign to guilt parents who failed to inoculate their children with Gardasil.
A Caring Mother Misled and Guilted by Propaganda
Kayla Carrillo received her first round of the Gardasil vaccine when she was only 12 years old on August 17, 2012. She was a happy, healthy, and physically active child who enjoyed playing music and had ambitions to study art.
As it is still being heavily marketed today, insisting parents urge their daughters “to get the vaccine immediately” or “risk cervical cancer,” Gardasil was presented to Kayla’s mother, Marlena Carrillo, as a safe and effective vaccine against HPV, one that would supposedly lower Kayla’s risk of developing cervical cancer in the years to come. Wanting to be a good mother and protect her child from preventable harm, she let Kayla receive the Gardasil vaccine.
Sadly, within 24 hours of receiving her first injection of the vaccine, Kayla experienced a “seizure-like episode” that included a staring spell, severe headache, slurred speech, and swelling of her face, the complaint alleges.
In February of 2013, she had a seizure and was rushed to the emergency room at Orange County Memorial Hospital where she received a computerized tomography (CT) scan of her head. The results showed nothing abnormal, and she was diagnosed with having a first-time seizure. Only a month later, she began suffering severe headaches, vomiting, and nausea. The hospital was able to resolve her vomiting and nausea but failed to address her migraines and occasional hallucinations.
After receiving two doses of Gardasil, Kayla’s health problems grew to include multiple seizures, recurring ovarian cysts that required surgery, nausea, abdominal pain, lightheadedness, heart palpitations, chest pains, dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, menstrual irregularities, hives, severe food allergies, severe migraines, auditory hallucinations, parasomnias, and more.
Kayla’s symptoms rendered her unable to participate in the activities she used to enjoy and live the life of an average teenager. She could not attend in-person classes, play in her high school orchestra, or pursue her artistic passions anymore. Moreover, it has been very difficult for her to hold down a steady job because of her chronic pain, and she cannot drive due to her risk of fainting or experiencing a seizure while operating a car.
Doctors say Kayla will not be able to bear children due to the damage to her reproductive organs.
“One of the hardest things for a mother to hear is your daughter will not be able to have children,” Marlena said. “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.”
In addition to her physical health problems, Kayla has struggled with her mental health, having received mental health diagnoses and experienced hallucinations. She is currently pursuing a degree in psychology at Cypress College and hopes to work as a psychologist who helps children with disabilities.
“Based on what I’ve been through, I feel like I know firsthand what they are going through and can relate,” Kayla explained.
“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 Michael L. Baum. “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 year, Kayla had another surgery to remove a benign tumor from her reproductive organs and she continues to suffer from endometriosis, a painful disorder.
“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.”
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman Gardasil Attorneys
Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman is representing hundreds of individuals across the nation injured by the Gardasil HPV vaccine. Since opening our doors in 1985, we have remained committed to helping those wronged by negligent corporations. We understand there is a great deal of controversy surrounding vaccines, and we would like to state that we are not against vaccines; we are, however, against the intentional efforts of corporations to mislead consumers about the safety and effectiveness of a drug or vaccine. Our firm will always fight for the rights of consumers to be fully informed of the risks associated with any vaccine, pharmaceutical drug, medical device, or consumer product and we will work to ensure those rights are defended and victims of injustice are compensated for their injuries..
To learn more about this case, please read our press release. If you have suffered a Gardasil vaccine injury, contact Baum Hedlund Aristei & Goldman online today.
