Molly Ringwald is taking a familiar voice and putting it behind a topic most people over 50 haven’t looked into: pneumococcal pneumonia. The 58-year-old actress has partnered with Pfizer and its VaxAssist platform to raise awareness, and she shared the stat that drives the campaign: after age 50, people are six times more likely to contract it. She calls herself the ultimate Gen X poster girl and says she wants to use her platform to let others know the vaccine is available.
She’s also modeling the kind of frank health talk that happens at home. Ringwald discussed the open conversations she has with her three kids about vaccines and sunscreen, proving that prevention is very much a family topic, whether the family is 17 or 22. The message: information shouldn’t feel scary or foreign, especially not when it’s something as routine as a checkup question.
Beyond the campaign, Ringwald’s calendar stays busy. She’s set to play Vicky, the mother of Van Palmer, on the Paramount+ series Yellowjackets. She’s also writing a memoir, The Paris Years, about her twenties in France, with plans to move into directing afterward.
Have you asked about pneumococcal pneumonia or other adult vaccines at your last checkup? Tell us in the comments.
About the Author
Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.