\t\t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\tTy Burrell and Julie Bowen at Ask2BSure\u2019s The Mening-Itinerary: Live with Ty Burrell & Julie Bowen in partnership with SheKnows and presented by GSK held at 1 Hotel West Hollywood on May 20, 2026 in West Hollywood, California.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnna Webber<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n \n\tA recent GSK and SheKnows meningitis awareness and panel event featured a screening of The Mening-Itinerary<\/em><\/a>, an original video that follows Ty and Julie on a journey through everyday moments for teens and young adults 16\u201323 years of age (think: dorms, parties, and gyms) where teens may partake in certain everyday behaviors that may spread the bacteria that can cause meningitis (like kissing, coughing, sharing drinks).\u00a0Along the way, Julie and Ty meet disease survivors and advocates whose personal stories bring the impact of this disease into focus. Through humor and heartfelt conversations, they uncover what parents may not realize they should be asking about meningitis and vaccination.<\/p>\n \n\tAs part of the panel, Bowen and Burrell were joined by well-known parents of teens and popular YouTubers, Kim and Penn Holderness<\/a>, as well as Dr. Candice Robinson, a board-certified pediatrician and Director of Scientific Affairs and Public Health for U.S. Vaccines at GSK, to reflect on what they learned while shooting the video \u2013 covering everything from decoding \u201cteen speak\u201d (Bowen had the edge) to a more serious reality: that many teens may be missing meningitis B vaccination.<\/p>\n \n\tHere\u2019s a closer look at what parents should know about meningitis risks and vaccination:<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tWhile uncommon, meningitis is serious. According to the CDC<\/a>, about 10-15% of people who get meningitis will die, and 1 in 5 meningitis survivors deal with long-term consequences. This can include leg amputation, brain damage, and hearing loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAmong teens and young adults, 16- to 23-year-olds have the highest rates of meningitis, and the bacteria that can cause meningitis can spread through certain everyday behaviors and activities, like sharing food, drinks, and utensils, kissing, coughing, sneezing, and living in close quarters.<\/p>\n \n\tWith everything parents are juggling, meningitis vaccination can fall off the radar\u2014especially since parents may not know to ask about it.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMany teens have been vaccinated against meningitis A, C, W, and Y, but may be missing vaccination against meningitis B. That\u2019s because the decision to vaccinate for meningitis B is based on an important discussion between the healthcare provider and the family,\u201d Dr. Robinson said on the panel. \u201cNot all doctors may bring it up, and then parents may also not know to ask. So having awareness really empowers moms to have that conversation [and] be the one to bring it up.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThat gap in awareness matters. CDC survey data<\/a> from 2024 found that less than 16% of 17-year-olds received two doses of vaccination against meningitis B. It takes more than one dose to complete the meningitis B vaccination series.<\/p>\n \n\tAs highlighted in The Mening-Itinerary<\/em>, many parents aren\u2019t sure if their teen is fully vaccinated, or assume they are. Bowen shared that even she had a moment of realization while filming the project, discovering her own 18-year-old son hadn\u2019t completed his meningitis B vaccination series.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cI thought I was on top of things,\u201d Bowen said. \u201cBut there are some things that if you don\u2019t ask, you won\u2019t get that answer.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tShe added, \u201cThere\u2019s some things that I let my kids drive the bus on, and they might drive the bus right into a ditch, and that\u2019s fine, because failure is part of growing and learning. But when it comes to health, you just can\u2019t. You have to send them out the door as prepared as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tParents: talk to your teen\u2019s doctor about meningitis risks and vaccination. To learn more, including tools to help start that conversation, visit Ask2BSure.com<\/a> and watch The Mening-Itinerary on GSK\u2019s YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tLike Bowen says in the video, \u201cNow that we know\u2026 we are going to take action. Because our kids are everything to us.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Ty](\"https:\/\/www.sheknows.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-sheknows-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\t\tAbout Meningitis & Why It\u2019s Relevant for Parents of Teens\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWhat to Know About Meningitis Vaccination\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWhere Parents Can Learn More\t<\/h2>\n