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Objective
- Build understanding of the significant risk of meningococcal disease to adolescents and young adults in the U.S.
- Educate parents about the dangers of meningococcal disease
- Build awareness and support for the availability of a safe and effective meningococcal vaccine
Insight
Until recently, meningococcal disease was only understood and addressed in the context of the risk for international travelers, despite the fact that teens and young adults are at increased risk, and account for nearly 30% of all US cases. Vaccination can prevent up to 83% of all cases among this age group.
Execution
- Put a “face” to the disease by helping parents and survivors tell powerful personal stories of loss, reinforcing the importance of disease education and immunization
- Created a popular television PSA series that even after a full year ranked in the top 10% Nielsen-monitored PSAs
- Launched national and regional media campaigns targeting mothers of adolescents and college students about the risks of meningitis
Impact
- Greater patient advocacy and media coverage reached hundreds of millions of parents.
- The videos have been shared extensively via social media.
- The heightened awareness led to changes in immunization policy and practice at the national, state and institutional level to ensure more adolescents and college-age students were immunized.