GSK and Lifetime® Release Short Film Featuring Soleil Moon Frye and Melissa Joan Hart Urging Parents to “Ask2BSure” about Meningitis B

GSK plc (LSE/NYSE: GSK) announced today the launch of a new short film in collaboration with Lifetime that raises awareness among parents of teens and young adults about meningitis B vaccination, and the potential risks of meningitis B. The film, entitled “I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom's Quest for Answers” with Soleil Moon Frye Brought to You By GSK” takes viewers on a journey of discovery, as Soleil connects with a medical professional, and individuals and families affected by the disease – learning about important questions parents can ask their teen’s doctor.

Although uncommon, meningitis B is a potentially serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications and even death,^1,2 with teens and young adults between the ages of 16 and 23 at an increased risk for contracting the disease.^3,4 Available today at mylifetime.com/Ask2BSure, the short film will begin airing on Lifetime Sunday, June 25 at 12 pm EDT/11 am CDT, check local listings for additional airings.

Part of GSK’s Ask2BSure campaign, the short film features actor, documentarian and GSK spokesperson Soleil Moon Frye, alongside an appearance with her friend and Lifetime movie veteran, Melissa Joan Hart. It includes discussions with a medical expert, a meningitis survivor and mothers who have lost their children to meningitis B. Frye hears from those impacted by the disease and shares their stories to encourage parents to ask questions and talk with their teen’s doctor about meningitis B vaccination.

Frye is a mother of four, who in the film speaks about not having known the risks of meningitis B until she heard about the disease and reached out to a lifelong friend and pediatrician to ask about it.

“I am grateful to the women who shared their personal stories as part of this short film. They echo my hope that its message encourages parents to talk openly with their teens and their teen’s doctor about the potential serious dangers associated with meningitis B,¹ and most importantly, to advocate for their children,” said Soleil Moon Frye.

Conversations with doctors can be critical in arming parents with the information they need about meningitis B and meningitis B vaccination.

“Many parents may not know there are two different types of vaccinations needed to help protect against the five vaccine-preventable serogroups of meningitis, one for serogroups A, C, W and Y and a separate one for meningitis B,”^5,6 said Leonard Friedland, MD, Vice President and Director of Scientific Affairs and Public Health. “Asking questions is key – and we hope the film leads to more parents talking to their child’s doctor about meningitis B vaccination.”

“We are proud to debut this digital-first, holistic campaign for GSK which will bring greater awareness to an important health topic and is a call to action for parents everywhere,” said Maura O’Donovan, vice president, Ad Sales Partnerships, A+E Networks. “Our Lifetime audience is a community of strong women – many of whom are parents - who interact with our brand everywhere, so we’re excited to help GSK amplify their message through this bespoke creative collaboration.”

About the film collaboration

Ask2BSure seeks to raise awareness of the importance of a dialogue between parents and healthcare providers about meningitis B vaccination. Resources, including personal stories, infographics and conversation starters, can be found at Ask2BSure.com. “I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom's Quest for Answers with Soleil Moon Frye” is part of a broader GSK awareness initiative, Ask2BSure, a public health campaign created by GSK to help empower parents to ask their child’s doctor about meningitis B vaccination.

About Meningitis B

Meningitis is an uncommon, but potentially serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications, or even death.^1,2 Teens and young adults aged 16-23 years, are at an increased risk for contracting meningitis because it can spread through common behaviors such as living in close quarters, coughing, sneezing, kissing, and sharing drinks or utensils.^3,4,7 There are two different types of vaccinations needed to help protect against the five vaccine-preventable groups of meningitis, one for groups A, C, W and Y and a separate one for meningitis B.^5,6 While many teens or young adults may have received meningitis vaccination for groups A, C, W, and Y when they were younger, they could be missing vaccination for meningitis B. ^4,5,6,8  In fact, almost 7 out of 10 17-year-olds in the US had not received even one dose of meningitis B vaccination as of 2021.⁸

About GSK

GSK is a global biopharma company with a purpose to unite science, technology, and talent to get ahead of disease together. Find out more at gsk.com

About Lifetime

Celebrating 35 years of entertaining audiences, Lifetime is a premier entertainment destination for women dedicated to offering the highest quality original programming spanning award-winning movies and breakout non-fiction series and documentaries. Lifetime has an impressive legacy in public affairs, bringing attention to social issues that women care about with initiatives such as the long-running Stop Breast Cancer for Life, Stop Violence Against Women, and Broader Focus, a major global initiative dedicated to supporting and hiring female directors, writers and producers, including women of color, to make its content. Lifetime Television^®, LMN^®, Lifetime Real Women^® and Lifetime Digital™ are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A+E Networks. A+E Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group and Hearst Corporation.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2021, GSK’s Q2 Results for 2022 and any impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References:

1. McNamara LA, Blain A. Meningococcal Disease in: Roush SW, Baldy LM, Hall MAK, eds. Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed January 5, 2022. Accessed May 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt08-mening.html
2. Pelton SI. Meningococcal disease awareness: clinical and epidemiological factors affecting prevention and management in adolescents. J Adolesc Health. 2010; 46:S9-S15
3. Meningococcal Disease: Clinical Information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Reviewed February 27, 2022. Accessed May 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/clinical-info.html
4. Meningococcal Disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed February 28, 2023. Accessed May 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/downloads/17-275138A-MeningococcalDis-FS.pdf
5. Meningococcal Vaccination. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed September 12, 2022. Accessed May 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/vaccine-info.html 
6. Meningococcal vaccination for adolescents: information for healthcare professionals. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed October 12, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/hcp/adolescent-vaccine.html
7. Mayo Clinic. Updated January 27, 2023. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350508
8. Pingali C, Yankey D, Elam-Evans LD, et al. National vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 13–17 years — National Immunization Survey-Teen, United States, 2021. MMWR. 2022; 71(35):1101-1108. Accessed May 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/pdfs/mm7135a1-H.pdf