GSK on Thursday named Julie Bowen and Ty Burrell as the new faces of its Ask2BSure campaign, a public health push meant to get parents asking more questions about meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis. The company said the pair stars in a new video, The Mening-Itinerary, now available on GSK's YouTube channel.
The video leans on ordinary parenting moments in dorms, at parties and in gyms, where teens may come into contact with the bacteria that can cause meningitis through everyday behaviors such as sharing food, drinks and utensils, kissing and living in close quarters. GSK said teens and young adults ages 16 to 23 have the highest rates of the disease, which can become life-threatening within 24 hours.
Bowen said she was surprised to learn that her own 18-year-old son had not completed his meningitis B vaccination series, describing the moment as a reminder that even attentive parents can miss something. Burrell said the campaign aims to blend humor and heart in a way that speaks to parents of teenagers, and added that he hopes it leads families to talk with a teen's doctor about meningitis risk and vaccination.
That message is being pushed because GSK says the illness is uncommon but serious, can cause permanent complications or death, and kills about 10% to 15% of those who get it. The company also says one in five survivors face long-term consequences, including limb amputation, brain damage and hearing loss.
The campaign lands at a time when some teens may think they are fully protected after receiving vaccines for meningitis groups A, C, W and Y, while still missing meningitis B vaccination. Cynthia Burman said the effort is meant to raise awareness and prompt conversations with a teen's healthcare provider about meningitis vaccinations and any missed doses.
For parents, the point is not celebrity, but timing: a conversation that can easily be postponed is the one GSK wants happening now, before a missed dose becomes a missed chance.