B Aware Campaign Brings Awareness to Meningitis B Vaccine
JT is proud to support the launch of EverThrive Illinois’ newest statewide campaign B Aware – a targeted initiative to educate parents, high school and college students, educators and health professionals about the critical importance of being immunized against the most common types of the meningococcal disease.
Each year, approximately 1,000 people contract meningococcal disease in the United States. Meningitis B, one of the five most common types / strains, accounts for 50 percent of these cases among 16-23 year olds, and 100 percent of all meningococcal disease outbreaks on college campuses in the U.S. since 2011. Meningitis B may result in death or the loss of limbs and other serious complications.
The problem?
Many people do not know there is more than one meningitis vaccine and feel mistakenly protected from all major strains. There is the more commonly received vaccine – MenACWY – and a newer one, as of 2014, that protects against meningitis B. Few people realize that they need two different meningitis vaccines to be protected against the most common types of meningitis.
EverThrive’s campaign, which launched on National College Decision Day, May 1, will use the summer season to target parents of high school students and also students heading to college in the fall to make sure their child gets both vaccinations while they are still home and have their family doctor nearby. There are also plans to create additional educational materials, work closely with universities and colleges throughout the state, utilize social media platforms and generate traditional media stories to broaden the campaign’s reach.
JT came up with the name – B Aware – and designed a logo and a microsite featuring statistics, a newsroom, FAQ and downloadable materials for parents, educators, media and health professionals. Additionally, JT drafted media and outreach materials, and pushed out a news release and targeted pitches to TV, radio and print outlets throughout the state.
For more information about the campaign, please visit www.bawareofmenb.com.
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