Utah Woman Says Merck’s HPV Vaccine Gardasil Caused Her Cervical Cancer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Utah woman has sued Merck in federal court, alleging its human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil caused her to develop cervical cancer.

In a March 16 complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Caroline Cantera says Merck engaged in an aggressive marketing campaign falsely touting Gardasil as the “cervical cancer vaccine,” despite knowing that it can actually increase the risk of cervical cancer.

Cantera was 19 when she received her first dose of Gardasil in December 2016, and she received her second dose in March 2018. At that time, she …