An Ohio teenager who defied his anti-vaxxer mother's wishes and got all his shots at 18 has testified before Congress about the dangerous spread of misinformation.
Ethan Lindenberger, of Norwalk, appeared on Tuesday before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor, and Pensions and discussed the fights he had with his mother, Jill Wheeler, over this decision to catch up on his vaccines.
He explained that she regularly turned to anti-vaccine groups online and on social media that preyed on her fears that vaccines were dangerous.
'For my mother, her love, affection and care as a parent was used to push an agenda to create a false distress,' Lindenberger said during his testimony.
'These sources, which spread misinformation, should be the primary concern of the American people.'
Ethan Lindenberger, 18 (pictured), of Norwalk, Ohio, who grew up in an anti-vaxxer household, testified before the US Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor, and Pensions on Tueday
He explained that his mom turned to anti-vaccine groups online and on social media that preyed on her fears that vaccines were dangerous and said 'her love, affection and care as a parent was used to push an agenda to create a false distress'
In December, he was vaccinated for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, the flu and HPV. His mother, Jill Wheeler (pictured, left, with Lindenberger), called the decision at the time 'insulting' and a 'slap in the face'
At one point during the hearing, Senator Johnny Isakson (R - GA) https://twitter.com/MSNBC/status/1102987168702754817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw if Lindenberger's mother got most of her information online.
When Lindenberger replied that it was from both the internet and Facebook, Senator Isakson asked: 'Where do you get most of your information?'
'From not Facebook,' Lindenberger replied with a laugh.
'From the CDC, the World Health Organization, scientific journals, and also cited information from those organizations like the Institute of Medicine, trying my best to look at accredited sources.'
The teenager reiterated that it's important to speak with people who have vaccine hesitancy and fears with compassion and understanding.
'Approaching this issue with the concern of education and addressing misinformation properly can cause change, as it did for me,' he told the panel.
'Although the debate around vaccines is not necessarily centered around information, and concerns for health and safety, this is why education is so important, and also why misinformation is so dangerous.'
Lindenberger rose to fame after a now-viral Reddit post in November 2018, in which he criticized his parents for refusing to vaccinate him as a young child.
His parents are both anti-vaxxers who believe that immunizations cause brain damage and autism.
This is in spite of the fact that these claims have been debunked by countless scientists.
Ohio is one of 17 states that allows non-medical exemptions for vaccines including 'conscientious objector' or 'philosophical/personal beliefs' - which Lindenberger argued
