Bridget Saltzburg
ASMP Advocate

In 2013, I was a sophomore in college when my boyfriend returned from a weekend away at a neighboring college. It was Super Bowl Sunday, and he said he was feeling run down. He went back to his apartment and tried to get some rest. Later that evening, he called me and said he was feeling much worse. I went to his apartment and drove him to urgent care, where he developed spots all over his body. Urgent care said it was probably the flu and to go home and get rest. I knew something wasn’t right, so I then took him to a local hospital, where they didn’t think his condition was “that serious.” The next afternoon, the blood cultures came back positive for meningococcal disease, serogroup B. His roommates and I were all given prophylactic antibiotics. I called his parents to deliver the news, they came to his bedside as quickly as they could. It was clear his condition was deteriorating. That evening, the doctor said, “He is not going to make it.” We all sat vigil at his bedside until he passed away.  

This experience left a profound impact on me, his family, and campus community. As a senior, I delivered a talk on campus about meningitis vaccines and the early symptoms of meningitis. Over a decade later, I still think about this experience and how I can help spread awareness. He didn’t have a chance to be fully vaccinated. I want others to know about the importance of meningococcal vaccines and the importance of prevention so that no other person has to suffer from such a loss.