(Image source from: The Straits Times)

The teenager from Ohio who defied his mother, an anti-vaxxer, by getting flu injections testified in front of the Congress on Tuesday.

Ethan Lindenberger blamed the social media, particularly Facebook, for strengthening efforts of anti-vaxxers to spread misinformation about vaccines, adding that strong countermeasures should be taken to contain the problem.

The teen said while his mother is well-meaning in her efforts, she was blinded by all the online conspiracies against vaccines, putting him and his siblings at risk of measles.

In a Reddit post, the teenager explained that his parents “are kind of stupid” and that he wants to get vaccinated now that he was 18.

He explained how he was influenced by his mother’s opinions on vaccines from a very young age. But as he grew up, he realized that she was a victim of the rampant fear mongering brigade. In spite of showing her studies and articles from Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) that prove the safety of vaccines, she would still seek out illicit sources like the church and online groups for validation.

It came to a stage when the teen’s school started viewing him as a possible “health threat” since he wasn’t immunized. The incident turned out to be a turning point for the teen who made up his mind to get himself vaccinated despite his mother’s disapproval.

Lindenberger’s mother, while proud of her son, is not entirely convinced by his actions.

Speaking to The Associated Press she said that the pharmaceutical industry has made her son its poster child. In another interview she gave Undark, she likened her son’s actions to him spitting on her face. “If I have a choice, I want to know what my choices are and make the decision as an educated mom,” she said.

The anti-vaccination campaign is among WHO’s biggest medical threats to the world. Earlier eradicated diseases like measles are making a comeback after the spread of misinformation in the age of social media.

Anti-vaxxers are paranoid about the effects of vaccines and have also been using means such as Facebook to spread their agenda.

In spite of multiple studies absolving vaccinations, anti-vaxxers are adamant that it can lead to developmental disorders like autism.

-Sowmya Sangam