CONSIDER THIS:
According to 2022 CDC survey data, >70% of 17 year olds had not received vaccination against meningitis B. Although meningitis B is uncommon, once symptoms appear, it can progress quickly and can be fatal, sometimes within 24 hours.
Based on CDC surveillance data in 16- to 23-year-olds from 2015-2021,
On-Screen Text: Allison is a meningococcal disease Advocate and mother to her son, Keegan, who was diagnosed with meningococcal disease. She is not a healthcare provider. This is her story in her own words. Allison was compensated by GSK for her participation in this program. This is one person’s experience. Other people’s experiences with meningococcal disease may be different. Vaccination may not protect all recipients.
Allison: My son Keegan almost never got sick growing up. He loved to roller skate, to play sports. He wanted to make sure everybody knew who he was, and he wanted people to love him. He never wanted to miss a thing. He liked being right in the middle of everything, the center of attention.
On-Screen Text: ALLISON MOM & ADVOCATE
Allison: One morning when Keegan was 17, he woke up not feeling well. He complained of a headache, sinus pressure, stuffy nose, and just not feeling well, so we decided to take him to the doctor. They told us that it was a cold, and that he should just go home and rest. The next day I took him to the second doctor's appointment, and they basically said the same thing. My intuition as a mom, I knew something was wrong. Keegan was staying in the bed and just lounging around, and that's not him. He's a busy body. And the next morning my husband got up to go to work and I went in to check on him, and Keegan was actively having a stroke. I called 911, screaming at them to please hurry to come and get him. We got into the emergency room. They started running tests, checking blood work, everything that they could think of. The neurologist literally came busting in the room and looked at us and told us that he needed to be rushed into emergency surgery. It turns out that it was a rare disease called bacterial meningitis. The emergency surgery needed to be done right away to release pressure on his brain. Keegan's brain continued to swell. And the next morning he had an emergency CT scan about 4:00 AM, and the neurosurgeon came in, and she had tears in her eyes, and she looked at us and told us that we needed to call our family in, that she had done all she could do. In the last few hours I had with him, I- I got to be a mom. I got to be just- just mom and Keegan. I got to- to lay there and love on him. I got to snuggle him. I soaked in every single moment. I- I didn't-- I didn't wanna forget his smell or his-- the way his hand felt holding mine. I just– I wanted to remember everything about him. There's nothing normal about burying your child. I struggled very hard. I didn't sleep for the first five months. I- I suffered a lot mentally, emotionally. I wish that I could have saved him. I feel like I failed him. I told him that he was gonna be okay. I had no clue that I would never talk to him, or that he would never tell me that he loved me again. I would've held him a lot longer, and I would've made sure he knew how much he was loved.
On-Screen Text: Adolescents/young adults need vaccines to help protect against the 5 vaccine-preventable serogroups for meningitis—Men A, B, C, W, & Y. Vaccination may not protect all recipients.
Allison: Bacterial meningitis is rare, but it can happen. We thought that Keegan was protected. He was up to date on all his vaccines. We did not realize that his vaccine did not cover him against meningitis B. It's important for me to share Keegan's story with other people, to help educate them, and to hopefully that no one else will have to go through what we've had to go through.
On-Screen Text: Talk to your teen's doctor about meningitis B vaccination today. Vaccination may not protect all recipients.
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USE THIS QUICK GUIDE FOR DISCUSSING MENINGITIS B WITH YOUR TEEN’S HEALTHCARE PROVIDER:
BE THE ONE TO START THE CONVERSATION
Even though the decision to vaccinate against meningitis B relies on an important conversation between the healthcare provider and parent/guardian, not all doctors will mention it. It’s best to be proactive and ask your teen's healthcare provider if the MenB vaccine is appropriate for your child.
Be prepared with all the information
If you aren’t sure whether your teen or young adult has received meningitis B vaccination, contact their healthcare provider’s office and ask for your teen’s vaccination records. It is important to note that there are different types of meningitis vaccines. While many teens or young adults may have received meningitis vaccination when they were younger, they could be missing vaccination for meningitis B.
If your teen hasn't received vaccination for meningitis B, call your teen's doctor to make an appointment.
BE READY TO ASK ABOUT HOW TO HELP PROTECT YOUR TEEN
If records confirm that your teen has not yet started a meningitis B vaccination series, ask their healthcare provider about vaccination during the appointment.
Although meningitis is uncommon, it can be deadly and have serious consequences. According to the CDC, vaccination is the best defense against meningococcal disease.
Vaccination may not protect all recipients.
Be diligent about completing the series
Meningitis B vaccination requires more than one dose. After the first dose, don’t wait to schedule an appointment for the next dose, and be sure your teen or young adult keeps the appointment – a little reminder (or two) never hurts.
HERE’S THE LIST, CHECK IT TWICE.
To help you prepare for an upcoming appointment, we’ve provided this handy list of discussion points.
Don’t miss your chance to mention meningitis. Be sure to ask about:
WHY THERE MAY BE HIGHER RATES AMONG TEENS/YOUNG ADULTS 16-23 YEARS OF AGE
HOW MENINGITIS CAN SPREAD THROUGH CERTAIN COMMON BEHAVIORS
EARLY SYMPTOMS THAT CAN PROGRESS QUICKLY
HOW MANY DOSES IT TAKES TO COMPLETE THE SERIES