US teenagers taking vaccination into own hands amid fresh outbreaks of measles

A line of mostly students wait to enter a vaccination clinic amid a mumps outbreak on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia on Wednesday
A line of young people, mostly students, wait to enter a vaccination clinic amid a mumps outbreak on the Temple University campus in Philadelphia Credit: Matt Rourke/AP

Like a growing number of teenagers in the US, Ethan Lindenberger reached the age of 18 without receiving most government-recommended vaccines.

"God knows how I'm still alive," he wrote on online platform Reddit in November, explaining his mother believed vaccines caused brain damage and autism. 

Approaching his 18th birthday, when he would no longer require parental consent, Ethan made a major decision - he would defy his mother and get vaccinated.

"I had done the research and I believed I was doing what was best for me," he told The Telegraph. "My mom freaked out by the idea and wasn't fully supportive. She still believes that vaccines are wrong and dangerous, she has not changed her views at all." 

Ethan's tale made national headlines leading to him giving evidence to Congress in an emotional testimony that was picked up by major cable news channels. But his story is far from unique.

America is on track for its worst year for measles in a quarter century, as pseudo science conjured up by anti-vaccination groups spreads among anxious parents through social media. This week a New York county was forced to ban all unvaccinated children from public places, in the most draconian action yet to control a disease effectively eradicated in the US by 2000.

Ethan Lindenberger, 18, who was vaccinated against his parents' wishes, testifies in Congress
Ethan Lindenberger, 18, who was vaccinated against his parents' wishes, testifies in Congress

Telegraph research of popular social media platforms reveals that children who say they are as young as 13 are asking peers to tell them how to get around the need for parental consent to get vaccines. 

“I am the 15 year old son of an anti-vaccine parent,” says one. "I have spent the last 4 years trying to convince my mother that vaccines are safe. I haven’t succeeded. So instead I am trying to research how to be vaccinated without my mother’s consent.”  

Another asking for advice wrote: "I am 14, and live in Wisconsin. I want to get vaccinated, and both my parents are anti-vaxxers... I am home schooled, so talking to a school nurse is out of the question."

One, who said he was a 15-year-old from Minnesota, asked for help understanding the state's laws around vaccinations.

Some states have begun to fight back against anti-vaccine views by attempting to introduce laws to allow children to act without approval from their parents.

In Connecticut, a bill currently under consideration would allow children to have HPV and Hepatitis B vaccines without telling their parents. Two more bills propose further restrictions on the non-immunised. 

In New York, where 214 cases of measles have been registered since October, lawmakers have put forward a bill that would ban all non-medical vaccine exemptions for children. This has enraged the other side who argue it is akin to a human rights issue and threatens the right to practice religion protected by the US Constitution. A similar measure considered in Arizona for the first time was struck down after the requirements were compared to the Holocaust and the bill's sponsor to a Nazi.  

Those parents who are suspicious of vaccines insist they are acting in the best interests of their children and argue that giving them the jabs could inadvertently risk their lives. 

Susan Jones* initially gave her children vaccines but began looking into the side effects when her six-month old daughter died of sudden infant death syndrome (Sids) two days after receiving a jab. 

"I vaccinated, I believed that was what we should do for the greater good and to protect our children," she said. "Then I stumbled across information from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for vaccines our daughter had received and learned that Sids was one of the adverse effects."

"I learned that our family has a lot of auto-immune issues and in fact on the CDC website it outlines, specifically for the MMR, who should not receive the vaccine - and that's us. The problem is our medical system has not done due diligence as far as obtaining further consent from patients, nor have they done enough research into who should and shouldn't receive vaccines... and then injuries happen and they're devastating. "

Some 100 bills, pro and anti-vaccines, have currently been proposed across the US
Some 100 bills, pro and anti-vaccines, have currently been proposed across the US Credit: Reuters

Despite the CDC, the US government's health protection agency, and World Health Organisation warning of the threats posed by not immunising, vaccine-sceptic parents insist that not enough has been done to rule out the risk of injury.

Jason Hommel, 48, a former investor turned writer, began looking into the issue when his first child was conceived. Mr Hommel said he researched the matter extensively before coming to a conclusion because "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if my child should get polio, for instance".

"What really clinched it was the CDC website itself says that there have been no natural cases of polio in the United States since 1979, that all the cases of Polio have been vaccine-induced polio. In other words, the risk-reward (ratio) is not worth," he said. 

Asked whether he was concerned about his children contracting measles, with outbreaks in five US states this year, Mr Hommel said he "would consider that fraudulent news".

"I do understand that there is a huge media fear about measles but measles is a benign, safe rash," adding "nobody has died from it in the last ten years. Everybody who's getting measles, half the people at least probably, were already vaccinated."

He added: "What I read in the media all the time is it's scientific consensus (that vaccines are safe) and that's just a complete lie."

A growing number of parents are demanding more research is done into side effects
A growing number of parents are demanding more research is done into side effects Credit: Reuters

He believes the government has never disproved a connection between the MMR jab and autism, a discredited theory espoused by Andrew Wakefield, the former British doctor now living in the US who started the modern anti-vax movement. 

A month after he hit the headlines, Ethan says he has been contacted by dozens of teenagers who say they have been inspired by his story.

"I just tell them try and be as respectful as you can if you're parents aren't cool with it," he said. "The decision they're trying to make is a good one and it sucks for them. But also getting angry and getting upset isn't going to help much. I have talked to quite a few parents and explained my logic and reasons. Most of the time it doesn't get across but I'm still there to answer those questions."

* Susan's name has been changed to protect her identity.

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