Ohio Teen Who Defied Mother By Getting Vaccinated Testifies Before Congress

The anti-vaxx movement has proven to be one of the more vocal and controversial groups of the last few years. The movement has recently prompted renewed attention after measles outbreaks in Washington and Oregon, among other areas.

Ethan Lindenberger, 18, of Norwalk, Ohio, drew attention in November for posting a message on Reddit about getting vaccinated at his age and in February he defied his parents’ wishes and went through with the vaccination. On Tuesday, he addressed the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions about how he prioritized his health over his mother's beliefs.

"I grew up understanding my mother's beliefs that vaccines were dangerous. 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 because of the backlash my mother would receive," Lindenberger told the committee.

Lindenberger was joined by state health representatives, pediatric doctors, and college professors, who voiced their concerns to the committee about the dangers of the anti-vaxx movement.

Lindenberger's mother, Jill Wheeler, was surprised by her son's decision but said she was "proud of him, for standing for what he believes in, even if it is against what I believe. He's a good boy. He's a good kid."

Lindenberger's 16-year-old brother is also considering getting vaccinated but will have to wait until he’s 18 if his parents don’t give him permission due to state laws.

Vaccines prevent diseases like hepatitis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and the chickenpox.

There have been unsubstantiated claims of vaccinations being linked to autism despite contrary evidence. The Centers for Disease Control has a web page that reads: "Vaccines Do Not Cause Autism."