American Society for Meningitis Prevention (ASMP)

Recent changes to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule were made without the usual public review process, leaving families without clear answers about vaccines that protect against serious diseases like meningococcal #meningitis and #flu. For families impacted by #VPDs, these decisions are deeply personal. We believe that every parent deserves science-based guidance and a seat at the table when it comes to their child's health. Learn what changed, why it matters for families, and how you can call for meaningful oversight—together with our partners at @Vaxyourfam: ➡️ vaccinateyourfamily.org/advocates-dema…

Amid vaccine rollbacks at the federal level and rising cases of meningitis and other vaccine-preventable diseases across the country, we hope you will take a moment today to read Emily Stillman's story and remember her life and legacy 💜. Emily was vibrant, unbelievably funny, and known for making everyone around her laugh. One late-January morning, she called home from her dorm with what seemed like a regular headache. She and her mom thought it might be the flu or exhaustion from studying. She took some Motrin and planned to rest, but hours later, the pain intensified. She packed her backpack and went to the hospital, still unaware of how sick she truly was. At first, Emily was treated for a migraine. As her symptoms rapidly escalated, doctors suspected #meningitis — but her family thought it must be something else, as Emily had been vaccinated against meningitis as a child and again before leaving for college. Just 36 hours after her first symptom of a headache, Emily lost consciousness and never regained it. She passed away on February 2, 2013, from #MeningitisB, at just 19 years old. Emily did not have the chance to be vaccinated against the type of meningitis that took her life, as the Meningitis B vaccine was not yet available in the U.S. Today it is. Many parents assume their child is fully protected because a school requires a “meningitis” vaccine. That is not always the case. Protection requires coverage against all five serogroups: A, B, C, W, and Y—and one vaccine alone is not enough. Take a moment to double-check your loved one’s protection. Learn more at meningitisprevention.org.

Attention #HCPs: Have questions about what recent changes to vaccine recommendations mean for your clinical practice? 🩺💉 @ImmunizeOrg breaks it down in their latest short video, clarifying what shared clinical decision-making really means at the point of care. Spoiler alert: This change in recommendation does not change your responsibility. Providers should still proactively inform parents about risks and benefits, answer questions, and support informed decision-making before a parent decides whether to vaccinate their child. Watch to learn more: youtube.com/watch?v=kMD32d….

📢 Our essential resource: 'Your guide to bacterial meningitis and meningococcal sepsis in children (0–16 yrs)', is free to download now. It supports parents and carers with vital information about all aspects of recovery. 👉 meningitis.org/downloadable-m… #MeningitisSupport

Our heartfelt gratitude to Connie Ingram and Lesley Thompson, two of our amazing advocates, for sharing their deeply personal experiences in this joint op-ed about how recent changes to the @CDCgov immunization schedule could affect children’s health in their home state of #Colorado. Their stories remind us why advocacy matters and why every family deserves access to full protection against preventable diseases. Read the full piece here: tinyurl.com/hx3ct48m #VaccinesSaveLives #VaccinePreventableDiseases #MeningitisPrevention

Even as meningococcal cases rise, vaccines are safe, effective, and readily available for teens and young adults to protect themselves and their loved ones against this unpredictable, devastating, and rapidly progressing disease that can cause death or disability in as little as 24 hours. In a new article from @NBCNews, Alicia Stillman & Katie Thompson of the American Society for Meningitis Prevention share their personal experiences with #meningitis to remind families of the importance of protection through #vaccination. Read their stories and share this information with fellow parents: tinyurl.com/5hfynekm.

"Children will die if we do not change course." Powerful words from Dr. Leah Luckeroth, who treated our advocate @andymarso when he nearly died from bacterial #meningitis. Andy survived—but lost fingers, toes, and part of his leg. Decades later, he still lives with the consequences of a disease that struck when vaccines weren't available. Now that the @CDCgov recommends both meningitis vaccines (#MenACWY and #MenB) based on shared clinical decision-making (#SCDM), doctors are sounding the alarm. Read why this matters via @KCStar: tinyurl.com/54wbuhrb.

This week, the @CDCgov updated the U.S. vaccine schedule—placing #MenACWY alongside #MenB under shared clinical decision-making (#SCDM). Our Co-Executive Director, Alicia Stillman, spoke out on what this shift means for families. In 2013, her healthy 19-year-old daughter Emily died just 36 hours after a headache from Meningitis B, before a MenB vaccine was available. When vaccines feel “optional,” uptake drops—and the consequences can be devastating. Parents: Discuss all age-appropriate vaccines recommended by the @AmerAcadPeds and the @aafp with your child's healthcare provider. 🔗 tinyurl.com/5n8tsy2f via @AFPFactCheck

In response to the disheartening changes to the U.S. childhood immunization schedule announced by the @CDCgov yesterday, @ASMP_org, in collaboration with @ForeverEmilyS and @KimCFoundation, has issued the following statement. ASMP encourages families to consult immunization recommendations from trusted medical organizations, including the @AmerAcadPeds and the @aafp, to help ensure children, teens, and young adults are protected against this deadly disease. Read the full statement: meningitisprevention.org/2026-vaccine-s…

Every parent knows the terror of watching their child spike a fever in the middle of the night. The racing thoughts. The what-ifs. For decades, vaccination has offered parents something precious: the knowledge that they've done everything possible to protect their child from the worst outcomes. Today, that foundation has shifted as the @CDCgov announced that it will no longer recommend vaccinating every child against 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞, rotavirus, flu, RSV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B. If you're a parent, we urge you to consult vaccine recommendations from the @AmerAcadPeds and @aafp during this time to ensure your loved ones are as protected as possible from #VaccinePreventableDiseases. Read more via @nytimes: tinyurl.com/3n84dppf

Behind the statistics on meningococcal disease are families who never imagined this could happen to them. This disease moves fast, and its impact is permanent. Survivors live with amputations, trauma, and lifelong medical needs. Families live with grief and the question: What if we had known sooner? That’s why protection must include vaccination against all five serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y. Read the report: tinyurl.com/m5tfewxd #MeningococcalDisease #AdolescentImmunization

A new article from @medpagetoday highlights something every parent should know: 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗱𝘀. Decades ago, Hib, pneumococcal, and meningococcal meningitis were far more common. Thanks to routine childhood vaccines, doctors now only see a fraction of those cases — a true #publichealth success. But there’s an important update for parents of teens to know about meningococcal meningitis. Read the full article to learn how meningitis has changed and why meningococcal protection matters now more than ever: medpagetoday.com/spotlight/aap-… #VaccinesWork #MeningitisPrevention

Emily was a bright and vibrant young woman away at college whose life was tragically cut short by Meningitis B — a disease many parents don’t even know exists, let alone that there’s a vaccine to prevent it. In honor of Emily’s wonderful spirit and passion for life, her family established The Emily Stillman Foundation to educate the public about meningococcal disease, organ donation, and other critical health issues worldwide. Soon after, Emily’s mom, Alicia, connected with another mom, Patti, who had faced a similar heartbreak. Together, they founded the American Society for Meningitis Prevention with one shared mission: to raise awareness and help protect other families from experiencing the same loss. As teens and college students come home for the holidays, now is the perfect time to check whether they are protected against all five types (A, B, C, W, and Y) of meningococcal bacteria that can cause meningitis. While most teens have received the meningitis conjugate vaccine (also known as MenACWY), which is often required for school, the majority are not protected against Meningitis B. In fact, seven out of ten teenagers have not received protection against serogroup B. Emily never had the chance to be protected, as the Meningitis B vaccine was not yet available in the U.S. in 2014. Read Emily’s story and learn how to protect your family: meningitisprevention.org/emilystory.

#MeetOurBoard: Ebony Scott, the Senior Director of Community Growth at Acclinate, where she leads innovative strategies to expand partnerships, deepen community engagement, and advance health equity. With over 15 years of experience driving inclusion and representation in research, Ebony has built a career bridging communities and clinical research to ensure access, trust, and sustained participation across diverse populations. We are grateful to Ebony for bringing her deep experience in the field to help us expand access to #meningitis vaccines. Learn more: meningitisprevention.org/ebonyscott.

We have now reached the halfway point of the @WHO Health Organization (WHO)’s Global Road Map to Defeat Meningitis by 2030. Over the past five years, we have witnessed remarkable progress; however, there is still more work to be done. Together with fellow @COMOmeningitis members, we urge continued action against this devastating disease so that no other life is lost or impacted by #meningitis. Read more about this campaign and how to get involved: meningitis.org/news-and-blogs… 🎥 youtube.com/watch?v=LXy2o7… #DefeatMeningitis

Every parent deserves to know their child can be protected from meningitis through vaccination. ASMP Co-Executive Director Patti Wukovits and Eve Meltzer-Krief, MD, are helping families get the facts and the tools to take action—because protection isn’t optional; it’s something our children, adolescents, and teens deserve. You can help spread that peace of mind to other parents, too. 💌Order free educational materials in English or Spanish to share with your office, school, or community: meningitisprevention.org/resources. #MeningitisPrevention #VaccinesWork

Our team is excited to take part in the Harvest of Health Pediatric Health Fair this week, hosted by the Suffolk County Medical Society and the Suffolk Academy of Medicine. If you’re in #SuffolkCounty, join us for a free evening of community, connection, and well-being—open to physicians, parents, caregivers, educators, and patients. 📆November 5 | 6:30–9:30 PM 📍Hyatt Regency Long Island All are welcome! RSVP using the QR code. We look forward to seeing you there!

Calling all creative #NewJersey students in grades 5–12! The Protect Me With 3 (#PMW3) contest is back 🎨 courtesy of the @NJDeptofHealth and Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey, To participate, students are invited to create a poster or 30-second video explaining why vaccines matter. This year's top student prize is $500 and a chance to be featured in statewide immunization awareness campaigns. 📅 Deadline: January 31, 2026 (If students enter by October 30, they can win a gift card too) 💡 Topics: #Tdap, #Meningitis (MenACWY), #HPV, #Flu, or #covid_19 Learn more about this contest and enter at: protectmewith3.com.

Parents often ask: “Who decides which vaccines are recommended for my child?" The answer often comes from ACIP, which helps the @CDCgov determine what vaccines best protect families from serious diseases. However, as federal guidance from ACIP becomes less predictable, states are stepping up to keep protections against VPDs clear and consistent, including for diseases like #meningitis. Read more on this topic from @ASTHO: astho.org/communications… #Meningitis #MeningitisB #VaccinesWork #PublicHealth