Actor portrayal of older teens sharing a beverage Actor portrayal of older teens sharing a beverage

About vaccination

Isn’t my teen already vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis?

Your teen may have received a meningitis shot at age 11 or 12. But they may not have received additional shots once they turned 16, to help protect them from all 5 leading types of meningococcal meningitis—A, B, C, W, and Y.

Teens are more at risk for meningococcal meningitis when they have:

Many teens don’t get all the doses they need as they enter their years of increased risk (ages 16 to 23).

Actor portrayal of a group of older teens in close quarters and text reading "Nearly 9 out of 10 older teens are not fully vaccinated against 1 or more of the 5 leading types - A, B, C, W, and Y"

Among 17-year-olds in the 2022 National Immunization Survey, only 61% had received 2 or more MenACWY vaccine doses and only 12% had received 2 or more MenB vaccine doses.

Among older teens, the vaccination rates are as follows:

11%

never got their first vaccination for types A, C, W, and Y

Graph depicting that 11% of older teens never got their first vaccination for types A, C, W, and Y

39%

never got their second vaccination for types A, C, W, and Y

Graph depicting that 39% of older teens never got their second vaccination for types A, C, W, and Y

71%

never got their first type B vaccination

Graph depicting that 71% of older teens never got their first type B vaccination

88%

never got their second type B vaccination

Graph depicting that 88% of older teens never got their second type B vaccination

Among 17-year-olds in the 2022 National Immunization Survey, only 61% had received 2 or more MenACWY vaccine doses and only 12% had received 2 or more MenB vaccine doses. Statistics about vaccination series completion based on 2020 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Is your teen vaccinated against all 5 leading types of meningococcal meningitis?

The PENBRAYATM discussion guide can help you get that conversation started with your teen’s doctor.

Get discussion guide

How can I help protect my teen from meningitis?

Vaccination is the best defense against meningitis, according to the CDC

It helps teach the body’s immune system to recognize and attack specific bacteria that cause meningitis.

Among healthcare professionals:

Graph depicting that 97% of healthcare professionals agree that a single vaccine that provides protection against all 5 leading types of meningococcal meningitis is needed to help protect teens

97%

agree that a single vaccine that provides protection against all 5 leading types of meningococcal meningitis is needed to help protect teens

Graph depicting that 98% of healthcare professionals make sure their own teens get all shots required to protect against the 5 leading types of meningococcal meningitis

98%

make sure their own teens get all shots required to protect against the 5 leading types of meningococcal meningitis

Based on an independent survey conducted in 2023 among 500 healthcare professionals in the United States.

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