However genuine her concerns and beliefs might be, this is an actress promoting the meningitis B vaccination in collaboration with Good Morning America sponsor, GlaxoSmithKline, which produces Bexsero, a meningitis B vaccine.
From the GMA segment:
Actress Soleil Moon Frye, the star of the beloved sitcom, Punky Brewster, now the mother of four, is using her power to take on an important mission to help young people stay healthy…
…Soleil Moon Frye says everyone should be aware that a meningitis vaccination can help prevent serious illness. This segment is sponsored by GSK and Frye is determined to get the word out… (emphasis mine)
…Her new mission, joining the fight against meningitis - an uncommon, but potentially life-threatening disease caused by inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Soleil has teamed up with our sponsor, GSK, to help spread the word about vaccinating against meningitis B.
The actress says:
I learned about meningitis B from a very dear friend. I assumed that meningitis vaccine was the same as what the kids get when they’re younger. I had no idea that it was totally different. I felt like if, I didn’t know this, how many people were actually unaware of meningitis B vaccination?
The segment then tells the story of Jamie Schanbaum, who tragically lost all of her fingers and both legs due to meningococcal disease. Jamie has gone on to accomplish some great things and inspire a lot of people, and she, too, wants people to be aware of the vaccine. (Notably, she is also a GSK advocate and helped pass Texas bill SB819, requiring meningococcal vaccination of in-state college students, as well as legislation to mandate meningitis B vaccine for NJ college students.)
And finally, a message from Moon Frye:
My message would be ask to be sure. Have the conversation. Let’s talk to our families, our doctors, our pediatricians. And be our own advocates. (emphasis mine)
In other words, Ask2Bsure.com, the GSK-sponsored “information” page.
Incidentally, according to FiercePharma, “GSK is donating $1 for every view of Schanbaum’s video story, up to $10,000, through the end of November. A slate of other social efforts are also planned with nonprofit groups, mom bloggers and social media influencers…GSK’s target audience is parents of teens and young adults ages 16-23.” (hmmm… wonder why?)
I have nothing against Soleil Moon Frye, but the segment was hard for me to watch. Because, like I said, this is an advertisement masquerading as a human interest piece and a cautionary tale.
There’s is so much more to consider. And my guess is there’s something else at play.
So let’s follow Soleil Moon Frye’s advice in earnest and #Ask2BSure.
I recommend you start by asking Doug and Rishanne Golden. They have a different kind of story to tell.
https://www.haleighsheart.com
There are plenty of tragic and moving stories. Some, like Jamie’s, are elevated, promoted and embraced by pharmaceutical companies and mainstream media alike. Others are buried. Most people have never heard Haleigh Golden’s story despite the tireless efforts of her parents, Doug and Rishanne. And certainly not on mainstream media. Because Haleigh’s suffering and death were subsequent to the meningitis vaccine she received before going to college.
Haleigh’s mother writes:
We lost our precious and vibrant daughter to a pediatrician recommended vaccine in preparation for college. All of our lives, we unfortunately blindly trusted what we have been told and thought we were protecting our children. Little did we know these neurotoxic vaccines have been continually harming our girls.
Tragically, our gorgeous 18 year old began having seizures after receiving the meningitis vaccination and after learning what happened while working in functional/naturopathic medicine, we began a protocol to slowly detox our beautiful Bearcat! Haleigh so wanted to live the life she deserved and she walked with such courage and positivity and choose to utilize a great number of support tools in order to recognize healing, all while trying to enjoy her life as a college student.
Making progress, we unexpectedly and tragically lost our sweet girl November 6, 2018. Both of our girls are the absolute light in our life, and the very beats in our hearts, and we are all beyond devastated with the loss of our child and only sister. Knowing her injury and passing was absolutely senseless, completely preventable and occurred only because of the corruption, greed and fraud behind this evil agenda deeply adds to our agonizing pain.
Rishanne and Doug continue to do what they can to raise awareness about the potential risks of vaccines and the need for informed choice. Last spring, they drove from Ohio to New Jersey to stand with Rutgers college students who gathered to protest COVID vaccine mandates - one of many events they have attended in the hopes of preventing the suffering they know all too well. They are currently working on a documentary about vaccine injury and the need for informed consent.
Next, #Ask2BSure Bexsero, GSK’s meningitis B vaccine, is “safe and effective.”
Does Soleil Moon Frye know that it was given Breakthrough Therapy Designation status by the FDA in order to bypass normal clinical trials?
Breakthrough Therapy Designation is designed to expedite the development and review of drugs and vaccines that are intended to treat or prevent serious conditions and preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug or vaccine may demonstrate substantial improvement over available therapy on a clinically significant endpoint(s).
(sounds like another FDA loophole doesn’t it?)
Did GlaxoSmithKline explain to her that meningococcal disease is extremely rare and that about 10% of the population carries these bacteria in their throats at any given moment?
Does she know that about 95% of cases are NOT linked to outbreaks and the majority of people who are exposed to meningococcal bacteria do not get sick?
How about the study in the New England Journal of Medicine that showed that Bexsero, when administered during an outbreak at Princeton University in 2013, produced no immune response to the outbreak strain in 34% of the students who received it? That’s 1 out of 3.
According to the CDC’s 2019 data (the most recent data available on their website), over 95% of the 21 cases of meningococcal disease among college students had received at least one dose of MenACWY (meningitis vaccine for A, C, W and Y strains). Over 56% (among the 76% with available records) had received at lease one dose of Meningitis B vaccine.
In 2019 there were a total of 375 “confirmed and probable” cases of meningococcal disease (99 linked to B strain), and 35 deaths (6 linked to meningitis B)… in a population of over 328 million.
Ultimately, meningitis is a disease of vulnerability. You get sick when these pathogens gain access to your nervous system. If your immune system is working properly, they don’t. We’d likely be far better off focusing on personal lifestyle risk factors as a means of preventing meningococcal disease.
For example, smoking and second-hand smoke impair immunity at the respiratory tract and the integrity of the blood-brain barrier, elevating risks for invasive bacterial disease. Second-hand smoke is a well-established risk factor for meningococcal disease in children. I’m going to guess rampant vaping is not helping. I’m also going to guess that epithelial damage from a certain spike protein is not going to be doing anyone any favors in this regard.
Something is Brewing…
The Meningitis B propaganda campaign was relatively quiet for a while, but it’s gearing up again. I suspect there will be some scary headlines soon, paired with a renewed push for meningitis B vaccine mandates in colleges throughout the U.S.
Supported by the Indiana Immunization Coalition, and in partnership with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention as well as the Pennsylvania Immunization Coalition, Beware of B was first rolled out in 2015 to raise awareness among parents and students that two different vaccines (MenACWY and meningitis B) are needed for full protection against the five most common types of meningococcal disease.
In its early phases, the campaign challenged universities across the country to mandate the meningitis B vaccine. Since then, 25 schools across the country have added the meningitis B vaccination to the required list of vaccinations for admittance, and almost all recommend it.
Special interest groups are also working on the doctors that you are being encouraged to ask.
The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American College Health Association (ACHA), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American Pharmacists Association (APhA), Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM), and Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) urge you and your fellow healthcare professionals to make sure that your patients who are 16 years of age receive the vaccines that are recommended for them in accordance with the Recommended Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule for ages 18 years or younger, United States, 20191, approved by AAFP, AAP, ACOG, and CDC.
So when headlines about meningitis outbreaks (remember that 3 cases can be an “outbreak”) inevitably surface, please do a little digging before you decide the answer is to roll up your sleeves or mandate vaccines.
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Aww Punky…. Henry would be very very disappointed 🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️