GSK and Lifetime collaborated on I Never Thought to Ask: A Mom’s Quest for Answers, a short film released this week featuring actresses Soleil Moon Frye and Melissa Joan Hart highlighting the risks associated with meningitis B.

The 16-minute film features mothers affected by meningitis B, which presents an increased risk of infecting or killing teens and young adults, as well as meningitis survivors and medical professionals.

I Never Thought to Ask will premiere on Lifetime Sunday at 12 p.m. EDT.

While the rate of meningitis infections has dropped significantly over the past 50 years, those that get infected face what can be a perilous situation.  

The National Meningitis Association estimated that between 10% to 15% of Americans who contract meningococcal disease die and that many teens have not received a meningitis B vaccine since it was only recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2015.

Given these factors, GSK has invested resources to raise awareness about the danger of becoming infected and how to prevent life-threatening complications down the line.

Frye, who starred as Punky Brewster as a child actress, has been a spokesperson for the British pharma giant’s Ask2BSure meningitis B vaccine awareness campaign since mid-2021. 

Part of what got her involved with GSK in the first place was seeing statistics around the lack of uptake in meningitis B vaccines as well as the hurt experienced by families affected by the disease.

“I made an assumption, which is that when kids are little they get a meningitis vaccine. I assumed it was really that straightforward,” Frye previously told MM+M.

In a press release accompanying the film’s release, Frye expressed her gratitude to the women who shared their personal, and at times painful, stories. 

“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,” she stated.

In addition to Frye, Hart also makes an appearance in the film to discuss the responsibility mothers have to ask their child’s doctor about a meningitis B vaccine to avoid the risks associated with meningitis. 

I Never Thought to Ask is being supported by Ask2BSure’s website and myLifetime.com/Ask2BSure, which have a host of educational resources related to the disease and personal testimonials from families included in the film.