Age: 50.0
Sex: M
Vaccine: VARZOS
Symptoms: Dementia Alzheimer's type, Depression, Headache, Herpes zoster, Nerve compression
Clinical narrative: shingles; Alzheimer's; Asthma; Severe Bipolar disorder; Anxiety; Depression; Blisters, scabs, fever, pain; Blisters, scabs, fever, pain; Chickenpox; Blisters, scabs, fever, pain; Blisters, scabs, fever, pain; Information has been received from a lawyer regarding a case in litigation and refers to a patient (pt) of unknown age and gender. No information was provided regarding medical history, concurrent conditions and concomitant medications. On or about 29-SEP-2015, the pt was vaccinated with zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) (lot number, expiration date, dose and route of administration were not provided) by a pharmacist at pharmacy for the long-term prevention of shingles and/or zoster-related conditions. On unspecified dates, the pt experienced shingles and was admitted to the hospital. Subsequent to zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) inoculation, the pt was treated by a healthcare provider for shingles. As a direct and proximate result of zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) inoculation, the pt suffered and would continue suffer ongoing injuries, including but not limited to: mental and physical pain and suffering; medical care and treatment for these injuries; significant medical and related expenses as a result of these injuries, including but not limited to medical losses and costs include care for hospitalization, physician care, monitoring, treatment, medications, and supplies; diminished capacity for the enjoyment of life; diminished quality of life; increased risk of premature death, aggravation of preexisting conditions and activation of latent conditions; and other losses and damages; and would continue to suffer such losses, and damages in the future. The outcome of shingles was not recovered. The reporter considered shingles to be related to zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX).  Follow up information has been received on 02-DEC-2020 from a lawyer via a Plaintiff Fact Sheet regarding a case in litigation referring to a 50-year-old male patient (pt). Pt did not smoke or use tobacco products. In 2012, he claimed for a disability and he granted it. On 29-SEP-2015, the pt was vaccinated with zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) in his left arm at a pharmacy as prescribed by a physician. On the same date, he received concomitantly varicella virus vaccine live (Oka/Merck) (manufacturer unknown). The pt claimed that he had suffered the following physical injuries caused by zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX): shingles (herpes zoster) and chickenpox. On approximately 01-OCT-2015 (also reported as three days after getting the vaccine), he first became aware of the injuries as he had blisters and scabs all over his body, had headaches and his whole body hurt and stinger, he also had fever. In October 2015, he was diagnosed with blisters, scabs, fever and pain by a physician who prescribed acyclovir. Pt did not know if a test was ever performed to determine if the rash was wild type or vaccine strain varicella zoster virus. No healthcare professional (HCP) told him he had vaccine strain varicella zoster virus. The pt claimed that receipt of zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) caused or aggravated the following psychiatric and/or psychological condition for which treatment was sought from a HCP: anxiety, depression and severe bipolar disorder; which were diagnosed in November 2015 by a physician. On approximately April 2016, the pt visited websites that contained vaccine description and side effects information. In the seven years preceding his zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) vaccination to the present, pt had received inpatient or outpatient care, he also had required hospitalization or recurrent medical care and treatment or medication for bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression (2013-2019 and 2019-present), asthma (2017-present) (onset date: unknown, outcome: not recovered), and Alzheimer's (2017-present) (onset date: unknown, outcome: not recovered). In the seven years preceding his zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX) vaccination to the present, pt was prescribed with amoxicillin for asthma (only on 06-NOV-2019), "donopentin" for Alzheimer's (2017-present), and bupropion for bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression (2014-2019 and 2019-present). At the time of this report, the outcome of pain, pyrexia, blister, scab, varicella and herpes zoster was unknown; while the outcome of bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety were not recovered. The reporter considered the claimed events to be related to zoster vaccine live (ZOSTAVAX).     Upon internal review, bipolar disorder and dementia Alzheimer's type were determined to be medically significant events.