As the children of “anti-vaxxers” grow up and become old enough to make their own decisions, some of them are deciding to go a different route.
Ethan Lindenberger is 18 years old. His mother never vaccinated him against any diseases of any kind. In November, Ethan posted on Reddit asking for advice on how to get vaccinated against his parents’ wishes now that he’s a legal adult.
“My parents think vaccines are some kind of government scheme,” Ethan wrote in his post. Like many anti-vaxxers, they also believe that vaccines cause autism.
The Ohio teen said he wanted to protect himself against measles, HPV, and hepatitis. With multiple measles outbreaks across the US in 2019, the issue is on everyone’s minds.
Eventually, Ethan returned to Reddit with a happy update: He’d successfully gone to get his vaccinations. Because he’s a legal adult, his parents didn’t even attempt to stop him.
But for other teens in similar situations, the process isn’t so simple. In response to Ethan’s post, many of them began to share their own experiences and ask for advice.
“I’ve heard from kids my age who don’t want to go behind their parents’ backs and are afraid of getting kicked out or upsetting their parents,” Ethan told Inside Edition.
But for this teen, at least, life at home has gone on peacefully despite his decision to go against the grain.
“My mom and I still love each other despite disagreeing with each other. We’re kind,” he said.
Source : https://www.littlethings.com/teen-son-anti-vaxxers-gets-vaccinated/