Our Initiatives
AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MENINGITIS PREVENTION (FORMERLY THE Meningitis B Action Project)
The American Society for Meningitis Prevention (ASMP), formerly known as the Meningitis B Action Project, is a nonprofit organization (501c3 status pending) born out of the vision and resilience of two mothers, Patti Wukovits and Alicia Stillman. Patti Wukovits and Alicia Stillman each lost their young, healthy daughters too soon to Meningitis B, a disease that is now preventable through vaccination. The goal of ASMP is to empower all people to take action to prevent meningococcal meningitis. Help us achieve a world without meningococcal meningitis!
Patti Wukovits and Senator Kemp Hannon of Long Island, NY holding the MenB Awareness Month resolution in June 2018.
VACCINE Policy
The Kimberly Coffey Foundation actively works to educate lawmakers on meningococcal disease and to advocate for better meningococcal vaccine policy across the country. We were heavily involved with the passing of the meningococcal disease vaccination law in New York State in 2016, as well as ending select vaccine exemptions. In addition, through the work of the Foundation, June has been declared ‘Meningitis B Awareness’ month in New York state since 2015.
THE Kimberly Coffey Foundation Memorial Nursing Scholarship
The Kimberly Coffey Foundation Memorial Nursing Scholarship is awarded annually in honor of Kimberly’s beautiful spirit to deserving high school seniors across New York who are pursuing a career in Nursing. Kim died from Meningitis B one week before her high school graduation and three months before starting her nursing education at Molloy College in NY.
Kimberly’s dream was to be a pediatric nurse, and through this scholarship, it is our hope to keep her memory present.
Presentation at East Islip High School in Long Island, NY.
Patti speaking at the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations (CoMO) Global Meeting in London, UK.
Speaking Engagements & WEBINARS
Every year, we speak to high schools and colleges across the country to educate students about the importance of Meningitis B vaccination, as well as medical students and healthcare providers.
We are available for virtual or in-person speaking engagements. If you are interested in having Patti share her story with your organization, please contact us at patti.wukovits@kimberlycoffeyfoundation.org.
The Kimberly Coffey Foundation In the News
The work of the Kimberly Coffey Foundation has been featured in national, and local media around the country. See below for some of our latest articles and appearances.
Highlights
Meningitis Stories and Advocacy with Patti and Alicia
Ambiguously Blind Podcast | March 28, 2023
Are you protecting your adolescents and young adults from contracting meningitis B?
Contemporary Pediatrics® | March 21, 2023
What is your meningitis vaccine IQ?
Contemporary Pediatrics® | March 21, 2023
A Campaign to Get Needles in Arms
The Chronicle of Higher Education | March 24, 2021
Two mothers. One mission — Saving kids from meningococcal disease
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Parents PACK Newsletter | March 2021
Meningitis B Is Rare But Deadly. Parents Who Lost Children To The Disease Wonder Why No One Mentioned A Vaccine
Washington Post | September 16, 2019
Featured Videos
Additional Articles
Grieving mom's plea: Get vaccinated, Newsday, July 12, 2021
Colleges Weigh Whether To Require COVID-19 Vaccines, Or Just Urge Them, The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 4, 2021
There is Not Only One Meningitis Vaccine – Two Mothers’ Stories, Adult Vaccine Access Coalition, November 6, 2020
Massapequa Park Women of Distinction Honored, Patch.com, August 25, 2020
Patti Wukovits Shares Kim’s Story, FOX 19 WXIX, August 2020
Heartbreaking Story Urging Parents to Vaccinate Teens Against Meningitis B, News 8 WTNH, August 14, 2020
Making Sure Students Are Vaccinated When They Return To School, WNBC-NBC, August 2, 2020
Mom On A Mission to Educate Parents About A Life-saving Vaccine, Scripps National, July 22, 2020
Meningitis B: Real Stories, Kimberly and Emily, Glamour Magazine, July 20, 2020
Unless You've Lived It, You Don't Know What It's Like To Lose A Child, The Vaccine Mom, March 10, 2020
Podcast: The Kimberly Coffey Foundation, Your Family's Health, 90.3 WHPC, March 2020
Life Before Vaccines: Meningitis B, Coverage, February 21, 2020
N.J. law requiring college kids to get the meningitis vaccine was a win… more to do, NJ.com, February 20, 2020
CME / CE: Case-by-Case: Preventing MenB Disease in Adolescents, Medscape, September 26, 2019
There Is Not Only One Meningitis Vaccine - A Mother’s Story, The Journal of The Nurse Practitioner Association of New York State, Summer 2019
Two Meningitis B Vaccines Have Been Approved in the US. So Why Are Young People Still Dying From It?, Health.com, June 12, 2019
Stop A Disease That Can Kill Quickly, Newsday, March 11, 2019
New England College Mandates Meningitis B Vaccine, Concord Monitor, October 01, 2018
Spreading Awareness of Meningitis B Vaccine, Verizon FiOS1 Long Island, August 17, 2018
This Disease Can Kill Quickly — Is Your Child Protected?, In Good Health, June 27, 2018
Senator Hannon Recognizes Meningitis B Awareness Month, NYS Senate, June 11, 2018
Meningitis Vaccine Is Crucial For Teenagers, Newsday, January 19, 2018
A Mother's Story: Why Children May Not Be Protected From All Forms Of Meningitis, WRVO, October 7, 2017
After Daughters’ Deaths, Moms Urge Parents to Consider Men B Vaccine, NBC News, August 18, 2017
Raising Awareness of Meningitis B, Verizon FiOS1 Long Island, June 13, 2017
Taking The Extra Shot: Though Not Required, Vaccine Could Be Lifesaver, The Journal Gazette, June 12, 2017
A Mother’s Mission to Help Prevent Another Life Lost to MenB, Business Wire, June 7, 2017
Warning for Parents After Teen Sickened With Meningitis, NBC 4 New York, May 10, 2017
Doctors Should Be Talking to Teens and Parents About MenB Vaccination, Forbes, April 6, 2017
I Want Parents to Know About the Additional Meningococcal Vaccine That Could Have Saved My Daughter, Shot of Prevention, August 25, 2016
Mom Crusading for Better Meningitis Protection, NBC 4 New York, August 23, 2016
Mission Accomplished, Massapequa Observer, November 18, 2015
Mom Of Meningitis Victim: I Lost My Baby Girl To A Vaccine-Preventable Disease, CBS Denver, June 24, 2015 (watch video)
Meningitis B Vaccine Wins Partial Endorsement, CBS News, June 24, 2015
East Islip Mother Who Lost Daughter To Meningitis Starts Foundation to Spread Awareness, WLNY CBS New York, June 20, 2015
Meningitis Vaccine Mandate for Seventh Graders in New York Passes, New York Times, June 18, 2015
Fios1 Video Part 1 Kimberly Coffey's Meningitis Story, FiOS News 1, Feb 21, 2015
A Daughter's Memory, A Mother’s Mission, Massapequa Observer, November 26, 2014
Americans Finally Have Access To Technology To Prevent Deaths From Men B, Nurses Who Vaccinate, November 21, 2014
They Lost Their Daughters To Meningitis B – Read Their Stories, Parentswhoprotect, November 21, 2014
