Merck’s Gardasil Vaccine in RFK Jr.’s Sights Faces Court Clash

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and a group of personal injury lawyers have long accused Merck & Co. of “disease mongering” to boost sales of its Gardasil vaccine that mainstream medicine has heralded as safe and effective for decades.

These steadfast opponents of Gardasil, which is used to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections, have gained little traction in their years-long battle. The vaccine against the sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical and other cancers has been approved in about 150 countries since it was introduced 20 years ago and the company says more than 900 million doses have been distributed worldwide.