Why Parents Should ‘Ask to Be Sure’

Parenting teens is no small feat, especially in a world where the miniature computers in their pockets seemingly hold more power than Mom’s advice. But even when your teen might make you feel “uncool,” you’re still their biggest advocate – especially when it comes to their health.

This includes understanding an uncommon but serious, potentially life-threatening disease called meningococcal disease, known as meningitis. That’s where Ty Burrell and Julie Bowen come in, as they have teamed up with GSK to share a message for fellow parents of teens that is simple: Ask2BSure about meningitis risks and vaccination.

A recent GSK and SheKnows meningitis awareness and panel event featured a screening of The Mening-Itinerary, an original video that follows Ty and Julie on a journey through everyday moments for teens and young adults 16–23 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). Along 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.

As part of the panel, Bowen and Burrell were joined by well-known parents of teens and popular YouTubers, Kim and Penn Holderness, 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 – covering everything from decoding “teen speak” (Bowen had the edge) to a more serious reality: that many teens may be missing meningitis B vaccination.

Here’s a closer look at what parents should know about meningitis risks and vaccination:

About Meningitis & Why It’s Relevant for Parents of Teens

While uncommon, meningitis is serious. According to the CDC, 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. 

Among 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.

What to Know About Meningitis Vaccination

With everything parents are juggling, meningitis vaccination can fall off the radar—especially since parents may not know to ask about it.

“Many teens have been vaccinated against meningitis A, C, W, and Y, but may be missing vaccination against meningitis B. That’s because the decision to vaccinate for meningitis B is based on an important discussion between the healthcare provider and the family,” Dr. Robinson said on the panel. “Not 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.” 

That gap in awareness matters. CDC survey data 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.

As highlighted in The Mening-Itinerary, many parents aren’t 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’t completed his meningitis B vaccination series. 

“I thought I was on top of things,” Bowen said. “But there are some things that if you don’t ask, you won’t get that answer.”

She added, “There’s some things that I let my kids drive the bus on, and they might drive the bus right into a ditch, and that’s fine, because failure is part of growing and learning. But when it comes to health, you just can’t. You have to send them out the door as prepared as possible.”

Where Parents Can Learn More

Parents: talk to your teen’s doctor about meningitis risks and vaccination. To learn more, including tools to help start that conversation, visit Ask2BSure.com and watch The Mening-Itinerary on GSK’s YouTube.

Like Bowen says in the video, “Now that we know… we are going to take action. Because our kids are everything to us.”

Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Kim & Penn Holderness received compensation from GSK for their participation in the Ask2BSure activities described in this piece.