The pharmaceutical company GSK launched a campaign about meningococcal disease and vaccines featuring two celebrity partners. The campaign, which raises awareness about the disease and the importance of vaccination, was well received online, garnering thousands of positive comments. Commenters discussed how to ask healthcare providers about meningococcal vaccination and the disease’s potential severity, and encouraged parents to vaccinate their children.
Recommendation
Health communicators may explain that meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that can cause meningitis, an infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Messaging may note that infants, adolescents and young adults, and older adults are at increased risk for certain types of meningococcal disease. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all adolescents receive their first meningococcal vaccine dose at age 11 or 12 and a booster dose at age 16. For children at increased risk, such as those with HIV or asplenia, health care providers may recommend a vaccination series beginning at 2 months of age. Communicators may emphasize that meningococcal vaccines are safe and help protect against a potentially serious disease.
Fact-checking sources: HealthyChildren.org, Nemours KidsHealth
Communication resources: Read talking points on pediatric immunization
