Ohio teen who bucked his anti-vax mother to get immunized warns the Senate about Facebook's influence
Ethan Lindenberger, a high school senior in Ohio, gained national attention after he went on Reddit in December to ask how to get vaccinated now that he was 18 and free to act without the consent of his anti-vaccination mother. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advice.)
On Tuesday, Lindenberger testified before the Senate health committee, focusing on the need to fight misinformation and conspiracy theories about vaccinations — especially on Facebook — with "credible" information and better social media curation.
"I feel like if my mom didn't interact with that information ... it could've potentially changed everything," Lindenberger said. "My entire family could've been vaccinated." He said he decided to get himself immunized after slowly realizing the benefits vastly outweighed any risks, and that "my school viewed me as a health threat."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lindenberger would argue with his mother, citing the CDC and other sources, he told the Senate, but she would counter with baseless claims she saw on Facebook. "She didn't trust any sources," he told The Washington Post. "She thought vaccines were a conspiracy by the government to kill children."
Lindenberger's mother, Jill Wheeler, told The Associated Press she was proud of how her son comported himself in the hearing, though "I didn't agree with anything he said" and wondered why "they've made him the poster child for the pharmaceutical industry."
Facebook isn't just a conduit for bad information on vaccines, it also hosts self-reinforcing anti-vaccination groups and serves "targeted advertisements and anti-vaccination materials aimed toward women in regions with high numbers of measles reports," the Post reports. Anti-vaccination "hot spots" have fueled six current outbreaks of measles in 11 states, though the highly contagious disease was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
A major study published Monday confirmed that the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and does not cause autism. Learn more in the video below. Peter Weber
-
Political cartoons for February 19Cartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include a suspicious package, a piece of the cake, and more
-
The Gallivant: style and charm steps from Camber SandsThe Week Recommends Nestled behind the dunes, this luxury hotel is a great place to hunker down and get cosy
-
The President’s Cake: ‘sweet tragedy’ about a little girl on a baking mission in IraqThe Week Recommends Charming debut from Hasan Hadi is filled with ‘vivid characters’
-
Witkoff and Kushner tackle Ukraine, Iran in GenevaSpeed Read Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held negotiations aimed at securing a nuclear deal with Iran and an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine
-
Pentagon spokesperson forced out as DHS’s resignsSpeed Read Senior military adviser Col. David Butler was fired by Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin is resigning
-
Judge orders Washington slavery exhibit restoredSpeed Read The Trump administration took down displays about slavery at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia
-
Hyatt chair joins growing list of Epstein files losersSpeed Read Thomas Pritzker stepped down as executive chair of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation over his ties with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell
-
Judge blocks Hegseth from punishing Kelly over videoSpeed Read Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed for the senator to be demoted over a video in which he reminds military officials they should refuse illegal orders
-
Trump’s EPA kills legal basis for federal climate policySpeed Read The government’s authority to regulate several planet-warming pollutants has been repealed
-
House votes to end Trump’s Canada tariffsSpeed Read Six Republicans joined with Democrats to repeal the president’s tariffs
-
Bondi, Democrats clash over Epstein in hearingSpeed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi ignored survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and demanded that Democrats apologize to Trump
