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An Ohio teenager makes headlines after defying his mother's wishes and getting vaccinated after her 18th birthday.
Prior to that, Ethan Lindenberger had never been vaccinated for anything. His father says that children should not be vaccinated before adolescence and his mother thinks vaccines are harmful at any age.
But Lindenberger has his own opinions on vaccines for some time. He said he began to question the validity of his mother's opinions at the age of 13 when he had attended heated debates over his Facebook posts.
"I started to see that it was more than just a personal decision on his part," he said. "So, I did some research growing up, and then decided at the age of 16 that she was wrong."
And he was not afraid to let him know.
"I talked a lot about vaccines and I've been saying a lot of logic issues for two years now," Lindenberger said.
After turning 18 in September, he decided to get vaccinated despite the objections of his mother. The only problem was that he did not know where to go or how to do it. He turned to Reddit to ask for help.
Ethan Lindenberger, 18 years old
Ethan Lindenberger
The teenager posted on a thread entitled "NoStupidQuestions" explaining his situation and asking for advice. He said he found the Reddit community pro-vaccinated and that he would be more supportive of his ideas. The title of his message read as follows: "My parents are a little stupid and do not believe in vaccines. Now that I'm 18, where can I get vaccinated? Can I get vaccinated at my age?
"I did not know where to get vaccinated, I did not know the cost," Lindenberger said. "I thought it would be really practical to ask [on Reddit] because it seems that the community knows the answers ".
"Then, I posted and it went crazy."
The message was first picked up by Undark Magazine, then instantly turned viral.
Lindenberger said the response to the publication was both positive and negative. But he has finally been vaccinated against influenza, HPV, tetanus, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. He is also about to be vaccinated against polio, MMR (measles, mumps and rubella). ), chicken pox and its second HPV vaccine.
The teenager says that his mother is still against vaccinations but is impressed by the fact that her son stood up even when she opposed his decision.
"She still has the same beliefs and points of view on the subject," he said. "But she's ready to understand that I'm not doing this to upset her or to be rebellious." She came in that direction.
In addition to media attention, Lindenberger was invited to a lecture organized by the Ohio Section of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to speak to a panel about how teenagers can discuss vaccines with their doctor.
"It's a great opportunity to have a productive conversation," he said.
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