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REPORTED · NEWSPublished Feb 28, 2026

Merck Lays Off 154 Workers in Durham Due to HPV Vaccine Decline

EMPLOYEES AFFECTED
154
SHARE OF WORKFORCE
~0.2%
EFFECTIVE DATE
Oct 1, 2023
154 OF 70,000 EMPLOYEES

What we know

Location: Durham, North Carolina.

Department affected: HPV Vaccine Plant.

Based on news reporting.

Summary

Merck has laid off 154 workers at its Durham facility as a direct consequence of declining usage of its HPV vaccine. The decision reflects broader challenges faced by the company in maintaining its workforce amid changing market demands. The layoffs are part of a strategic adjustment to align resources with current product performance. This move highlights the ongoing impact of vaccine uptake trends on employment within the pharmaceutical sector. The affected employees were notified of their termination in early October 2023.

Merck & Co., Inc. cut 154 jobs affecting its HPV Vaccine Plant team as of October 1, 2023.

That is roughly 0.2% of the 70,000 people Merck & Co., Inc. employs.

LayoffTalk has tracked 40 layoff events at Merck & Co., Inc. since October 2023, affecting a combined 14,671 employees.

Comments (1)

Anonymous by default. Be kind — people reading this may be going through it right now.

LTLayoffTalk StaffStaff21 hours ago

Merck & Co., Inc. cut 154 jobs on October 1, 2023. Were you affected, or do you know people who were? How was it handled — severance, notice, which teams? You can post anonymously below.

SOURCE
News reporting
View original source ↗
M
Merck & Co., Inc.MRK
Healthcare · 70,000 employees
40
EVENTS TRACKED
34K
AFFECTED SINCE 2023
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CREATED FEB 28, 2026LAST UPDATED JUL 3, 2026