The Teen Who Got Vaccinated At 18 Told Congress The Anti-Vaxx Movement Is "Shameful"

By Lauren Rearick


In December 2018, a 18-year-old student asked Reddit for help: How and where should he go sort in attempt to finally get vaccinated? He went viral, and three months later, noticed himself sitting in front of the Senate, testifying about his experience as a unvaccinated child.


In a hearing on Tuesday, March 5, the student, Ethan Lindenberger, shared what it looked like to grow up in a residence where vaccines were not permitted with the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor, and Pensions, Buzzfeed announced. According to Lindenberger, his mother thought misinformation shared by social media that falsely links vaccines to autism and brain damage. The Centers for Infection Control has refuted these claims, noting that there really is “no link between obtaining vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder.”


“I grew up understanding my mother's beliefs that vaccines were dangerous," he mentioned. "She would speak openly about these views. Both online and in person she would voice her concerns and these beliefs were met with strong criticism. Over the course of my life seeds of doubts were planted and questions arose due to the backlash my mother would receive."


The Ohio student mentioned that he went unvaccinated up until the age of 18, as soon as he was legally able to obtain his own vaccinations, CBS News reported. As of January 2019, the National Conference of State Legislature reports that all 50 states require vaccinations for students to attend school, nevertheless there really are exceptions for parents who want to opt out. Forty-seven states let parents or guardians to forgo their child’s school-required immunizations for religious beliefs, and 17 states also let for a child to go unvaccinated if the parent has personalized, moral, or other beliefs about the procedure.


Between 2017 and 2018, the variety of measles cases rose by 559 percent In the United States. In Washington, 55 confirmed cases of the infection, which can be prevented with vaccination, brought up the governor to declare a state of emergency in January. And as vaccination rates in the United States continue to fall, Congress is getting involved, holding a series of hearings associated with the rise in measles cases.


According to Lindenberger, he initially sourced statistics from the Centers for Infection Control, the World Health Agency, and medical journals, and later turned to users on Reddit for help, asking where he might go to get vaccinated. In December 2018, one month soon after creating his original Reddit thread, he announced back, saying that he had began vaccinations.


“My mom was especially upset however my dad mentioned because I’m 18 he doesn’t care that much,” he later wrote in a update. “Although my mom’s attempting to convince me to not do it and saying I don’t care about her, I know that this is something I need to do regardless.”


Despite going against what his mother thought, Lindenberger doesn’t believe that her decision was “ill-natured.” Alternatively, he attributed her position to misinformation on vaccines that is widely circulated on social media and The world wide web. “Certain individuals and businesses which spread misinformation and instill fear into the public for their own increase selfishly put numerous people at risk,” he mentioned. “Using the passion, affection, and care of a parent for their children to push an agenda and create false distress is shameful. The sources which spread misinformation should be the primary concern of the American people.”


In his closing remarks, Lindenberger argued that anti-vaccination intelligence not based in scientific fact should be contained accountable for the continued spread of infectious diseases. “Between social media platforms, to using a parent’s love as a tool, these lies cause people to distrust in vaccination, furthering the impact of a preventable infection outbreak and even contributing to the cause of diseases spreading,” he mentioned. “This needs to change and I only hope my story contributes to such advancements.”


Lindenberger isn’t the only young person who has taken health into his own hands; as the Washington Post reports, at least two other teenagers have taken similar measures. 15-year-old from Minnesota as well as a student residing in the state of Washington also shared stories on Reddit of wanting to be vaccinated.