Calif. Woman Accuses Merck of Downplaying Gardasil’s Risks, Says Vaccine Left Her Disabled

LOS ANGELES — A California woman has accused Merck & Company Inc. of misleading doctors, consumers and the Food and Drug Administration about the efficacy and safety of Gardasil, alleging she sustained permanent injuries after receiving multiple injections of the human papillomavirus vaccine.

In a complaint filed in the Orange County (Calif.) Superior Court, Kayla Carrillo says the vaccine caused her to develop an autoimmune disease known as postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), leaving her disabled. Carrillo has also experienced recurring cysts in her cervix and on her ovaries, requiring several surgeries, the complaint says, and has a high risk …