Advocates mark World Meningitis Day with launch of new video series to support awareness and prevention efforts

Educational videos offer healthcare providers insights and strategies to support meningococcal vaccination efforts; many US adolescents are unprotected

AUSTIN, TX, UNITED STATES, October 1, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, MeningitisAwareness.org announced the launch of an educational video series for healthcare providers to support timely meningococcal vaccination of at-risk teens. The Expert Series videos, developed in collaboration with medical and policy experts, offer bite-size insights on meningococcal disease and vaccination. The availability of these new resources helps mark World Meningitis Day, observed on October 5, 2025.

Meningococcal disease is a potentially deadly disease that can kill in a matter of hours or cause lifelong disability. Adolescents are at high-risk, and many are not receiving the recommended meningococcal vaccines that can help protect them. In fact, in 2024, more than one-third of US adolescents were not fully protected against meningococcal groups ACWY, and more than 80 percent were not protected against meningococcal group B. 2024 also had the largest reported new cases (n=500) of meningococcal disease since 2013.

“We know vaccines help save lives and protect against life-long disabilities, yet many teens aren’t getting the meningococcal vaccines they need,” said Patsy Schanbaum, founder of The JAMIE Group and mother to Jamie, who lost her legs and fingers due to meningococcal disease as a 20-year-old college student. “We’re thrilled to unveil this new video series and grateful to our expert partners who collaborated with us in their development. The videos offer healthcare providers bite-size insights and strategies to support their conversations with parents and help get more kids vaccinated. Together, we can help ensure teens are protected against this devastating disease.”

Expert Series videos
This educational series designed for healthcare providers features key facts, insights and strategies to support timely meningococcal vaccination among at-risk groups. The first four videos cover:
• An overview of the current ACIP meningococcal vaccine recommendations, featuring James H. Conway, MD, FAAP, University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Medicine & Public Health
• The AIMS framework to address vaccine hesitancy, presented by Todd Wolynn, MD, The Trusted Messenger Program (free 1 hour CME training video available at https://www.trustedmessengerprogram.org/training)
• The health and economic impact of meningococcal vaccination, delivered by Rekha Lakshmanan, The Immunization Partnership; and,
• The personal perspectives from two meningococcal disease survivors, John B. Grimes and Jamie Schanbaum

Each video is less than 10 minutes, allowing healthcare providers to easily gain new insights in their busy schedules. Additional videos and topics are planned in the coming months. The videos are available at https://meningitisawareness.org/expert-series-meningitis/.

About Meningitis
Meningitis is a serious, potentially life-threatening infection that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms may begin like the flu, but can worsen rapidly to include fever, severe headache, stiff neck and a skin rash. Without proper treatment, meningitis can lead to severe complications, including brain damage, hearing loss, or even death. Vaccination has been successful in preventing disease. Talk to your doctor about vaccination to help protect yourself and your loved ones, especially those who may be at higher risk. A full list of recommended vaccines is available at cdc.gov.

About World Meningitis Day
World Meningitis Day (WMD) is an annual, international campaign held on October 5th by the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO). The campaign objective is to raise awareness about all forms of meningitis and prevention to support the objectives of the World Health Organization's 2030 road map.

About Meningitis Awareness
MeningitisAwareness.org is a collaboration of meningitis advocates from across the Americas. Our mission is to raise meningitis awareness and promote vaccination to eliminate the disease. We are a dedicated team of healthcare professionals, advocates, and survivors committed to educating the public about this serious illness, promoting prevention through vaccination, and ensuring early detection and treatment. Join us in our mission to fight meningitis through education, prevention, and action. Together, we can make a difference. Learn more at meningitisawareness.org.

Tegwyn Collins
Meningitis Awareness
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