S.C. Woman Accuses Merck of Hiding Gardasil HPV Vaccine’s Risks

CHARLESTON, S.C. — A South Carolina woman has sued Merck & Company Inc., accusing it of failing to warn her and her doctor of the serious risks posed by its human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, alleging it caused her to develop an autoimmune disease and other debilitating side effects.

In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina, Abby Stratton accuses Merck of designing Gardasil’s clinical trials to mask adverse events. Specifically, the company tested the Gardasil vaccine against a toxic placebo spiked with a potent neurotoxin. By adding the toxic ingredient to the control …