The parents of a North Carolina girl have filed a wrongful death lawsuit after their daughter, Isabella Zuggi, aged 10, developed a fatal autoimmune disease and died 10 weeks after the first dose of Merck’s Gardasil vaccine. The child’s health declined rapidly after the shot, developing MOG (Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein) antibodies and encephalitis (brain inflammation) where her body attacked the protective myelin coating of her nerves.

Gardasil is marketed as a “prevention” of cervical cancer, by preventing infections with human papillomavirus, even though the majority of HPV infections resolve on their own and never develop into cancer. Over 90% of people who are sexually active will be infected with human papillomavirus over their lifetime, while very few women will have an undetected, decades-long chronic infection that ever turns into cancer. Death from cervical cancer is rare, representing 0.7% of all cancer deaths.

The majority of cervical cancer deaths in the world occur in developing countries that lack routine PAP screening, and where co-infections with HIV increase one’s risk of cervical cancer. Even still, the mortality rate from cervical cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa is still lower than the mortality rate from Merck’s Gardasil clinical trial. Read more about human papillomavirus.

Isabelle Zuggi’s Story

Isabella Zuggi (a twin) was 10 years old when she received the first dose of Merck’s Gardasil vaccine, which targets the human papillomavirus, on August 26, 2022.

Two weeks after the shot, Isabella developed headaches, which she never had before. Shortly after this, she had what appeared to be “viral” illnesses. By mid-October, Isabella developed what was thought to be a nastier virus, extreme fatigue, high fever, vomiting, headaches, etc. They went to the doctor, but assumed it was a virus. After this, she appeared to be getting better.

A few days later, Isabella still had the headache so they went to Urgent care, and then Children’s Hospital. She was treated for migraines and monitored, and released. She appeared to be getting better.

But a day or so later, Isabella collapsed when she was in the bathroom, covered in sweat and couldn’t get up. She was rushed to the hospital.

From that moment on, Isabella could not walk on her own.

In the hospital, she underwent a series of tests, including lumbar punctures, had personality changes, couldn’t walk, and lost her ability to speak. Within 48 hours she was on a ventilator, and then on November 5, Isabella Zuggi, died of encephalitis.

Isabella died on November 5, 2022. The cause of death was listed as Acute Encephalitis Associated with Anti-MOG Antibody Production. 

Their mother, Kristine, wants people to learn the truth and to not make the same mistake she did. She believes everyone deserves to know the risks of vaccination, and to have proper informed consent.

My heart breaks for their sweet mom. I couldn’t imagine what she is going through, knowing she trusted both her physician and the vaccine makers, and now her beautiful daughter is gone. I hope this tragedy saves lives.

Watch an interview with Isabella’s mother Kristine on Children’s Health Defense.

About MOG Antibody Disease

MOG antibody disease (MOGAD) is a neurological, immune-mediated disorder in which there is inflammation in the optic nerve, spinal cord and/or brain. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) is a protein that is located on the surface of myelin sheaths in the central nervous system. 

The diagnosis is confirmed when MOG antibodies in the blood are found in patients who have repeated inflammatory attacks of the central nervous system.

Symptoms of MOG Antibody Disease can vary from patient to patient, and include issues with vision, symptoms association with damage to spinal cord, seizures, paralysis, pain in the eyes, loss of sensation, bladder or bowel problems, confusion, drowsiness or coma.

According to CHOP, which is the hospital associated with Paul Offit:

“The exact cause of MOGAD is not known. MOG antibody disease affects males and females almost equally and are more prevalent in children than adults.”

Isn’t it interesting how so many conditions that could be related to vaccines have causes which are publicly “unknown”?

If it is more prevalent in children than adults, could the CDC pediatric vaccine schedule, which has grown exponentially over the years, be a driver of some or most of the cases of MOG disease?

MOG Disease and Vaccines

• Measles-rubella vaccine-associated MOG-antibody positive acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis with optic neuritis in a child
• Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease following DTaP vaccination: A case report
• MOG encephalomyelitis after vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2): case report and comprehensive review of the literature
• Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody Disease After COVID-19 Vaccination – Causal or Incidental?
• Unilateral optic neuritis after vaccination against the coronavirus disease: two case reports

How can a parent sue a vaccine maker?

The National Childhood Vaccine Act of 1986 prohibits certain failures to warn and design defect claims against manufacturers, but federal law does allow for negligence claims. Plaintiffs who wish to sue a vaccine maker must first file a petition in vaccine injury court, in order to then file a federal negligence claim.

In this case, Gardasil’s clinical trial shows many key lines of potential fraud, and actively covered up a safety signal of autoimmune disease. Lawsuits fortunately will bring disovery and we will learn more about just how fraudulent Merck really is.

In Sept. 2022, Merck’s lawyers requested that the court limit discover and provide a speedy process to dismiss claims.

As of February 2, 2023, there are 132 cases in the Gardasil class action lawsuit.

The Gardasil Clinical Trials

Even though Gardasil is marketed as a cancer prevention against HPV types 16 and 18, the clinical trial did not measure cervical cancer as an end point, as this type of cancer takes decades to form. Instead, the clinical trial used a surrogate endpoint, ie. CIN2, CIN3 which stands for Grade 2 and 3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, which is what would be found on an abnormal PAP smear. Now, not every Grade 2 or 3 CIN ever turn into cancer, most often they return to normal without any intervention at all.

• Gardasil 9 package insert
• Gardasil package insert

Lack of proper controls

The placebo for Merck’s Gardasil clinical trial was an aluminum adjuvant injection (amorphous aluminum hydroxyphosphate sulfate (AAHS)). There were 594 saline placebo controls but when reporting the Serious Adverse Reactions, those results were combined with the AAHS group, thus masquerading any negative side effects of the AAHS control.

Hiding clinical trial data in original trial

For example, even though the clinical trial (GARDASIL N = 15,706; AAHS control N = 13,023; or saline placebo N = 594) had a saline placebo, why did they combine both placebos when reporting systemic autoimmune condition?

On page 8 of the Gardasil package insert, Table 9, 245 women (2.3%) reported a systemic autoimmune condition after Gardasil vaccine, and 218 women (2.3%) reported a systemic autoimmune condition after AAHS Control or Saline Placebo combined.

This makes both treatment arm and control arm with the same rate of autoimmunity, but given that the AAHS control routinely had higher rates of adverse reactions than saline placebo, this is a dishonest attempt to hide data.

Shouldn’t we be able to know if the vaccine increases one’s risk of an autoimmune condition?

Shouldn’t we be informed if the vaccine increases risk of death?

According to Wisner Baum, the lawyers who filed the suit:

The rate of Gardasil deaths in the clinical trials was 8.5 per 10,000, nearly double the background U.S. death rate for young women ages 15-24.