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Thank you, Chairman Alexander,[br]senator Murray,

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and distinguished committee members

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for the opportunity to speak today.

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Good morning, everyone.

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As I stated, my name[br]is Ethan Lindenberger,

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and I'm a senior in Norwalk High School,

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and my mother is an anti-vax advocate

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who believes vaccines[br]cause autism, brain damage,

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and do not benefit the health[br]and safety of society

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despite the fact such opinions[br]have been debunked numerous times

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by the scientific community.

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I went my entire life[br]without numerous vaccines

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against diseases such as measles,[br]chicken pox, or even polio.

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However, in December of 2018,

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I began catching up[br]on my missed immunizations

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despite my mother's disapproval,

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eventually leading to a story[br]and being able to speak here today,

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and I'm very happy for that, [br]so thank you.

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Now, to understand why I've come here[br]and what I reallly want to talk about,

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I have to share some details[br]about my home life, my upbringing.

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I grew up understanding[br]my mother's beliefs

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that vaccines are dangerous,

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and she would speak openly[br]about these views.

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Both online and in-person,

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she would voice her concerns,

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and these beliefs were met[br]with strong criticism.

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Over the course of my life,[br]seeds of doubts were planted,

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and questions arose

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because of the backslash[br]my mother would receive.

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But overtime that didn't really[br]lead anywhere.

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Now, it's important to understand

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that as I approached high school

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and began to critically think for myself,

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I saw that information[br]in defense of vaccines

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outweighed the concerns heavily.

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I began leading debate clubs in my school

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and pursuing truth above all else,

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and I realized one certain[br]quality to debates

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and to conversations in general

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when it comes to[br]the controversial discussions

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which is that there seems always be[br]two sides to a discussion.

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There always seems to be[br]a counterclaim or rebuttal

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and always something[br]to strike back with in terms of debate.

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Though this may seem true in all essences,

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this is not true for the vaccine debate,

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and I approached my mother[br]with this concern

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that she was incorrect.

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I approached my mother numerous times,

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trying to explain that vaccines are safe,[br]and that I should be vaccinated.

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Approaching even[br]with articles from the CDC

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exquisitely claiming that ideas[br]that vaccines cause autism

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and extremely dangerous consequences

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were incorrect.

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In one such instance[br]where I approached my mother

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with information from the CDC[br]that claims vaccines do not cause autism,

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she responded that[br]that's what they want you to think.

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Skepticism and worry were taking[br]the forefront in terms of information.

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Now, conversations like these reaffirmed

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that evidence in defense of vaccines

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was at least, on anecdotal level,

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much greater than [br]the deeply rooted misinformation

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my mother interacted with,

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and that's what I want to focus on today.

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To combat preventable disease outbreaks,

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information is, in my mind,[br]the forefront of this matter.

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My mother would turn to anti-vaccine[br]groups online and on social media

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looking for her evidence and defense

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rather than health officials[br]and through credible sources.

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This may seem to be a malice

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because of the dangerous[br]that not vaccinating imposes,

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but this is not the case.

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My mother came in the sense[br]of loving her children

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and being concerned.

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This misinformation spreads,

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and that's not necessarily justifiable.

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But I carry this knowledge with me that

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it was with respect and love[br]that I disagreed with my mother.

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And with the information she provided,

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I continue to try and explain[br]that it was misinformed.

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Ideas, again, that vaccines[br]cause autism, brain damage,

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and also that the measles outbreak

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is of no concern to the society[br]and to America,

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where ideas that were pushed[br]by the sources that she would go to.

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And for certain individuals[br]and organizations

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that spread this misinformation,

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they instill fear into the public[br]for their own gain selfishly

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and do so knowing[br]that the information is incorrect.

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For my mother, her love,[br]affection and care of parent

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was used to push an agenda[br]to create a false distress,

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and these sources[br]which spread misinformation

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should be the primary concern[br]of the American people.

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Although changes are already placed,[br]and more tries can be done,

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almost 80% of people,[br]according to Pew Research Center,

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turn to the internet[br]for health related questions.

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I further explained more statistics[br]and evidences in my written testimony.

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Now, in terms of what I would like[br]to walk away with today

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and kind of finalize with.

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Although my mother would turn[br]to very illegitimate sources

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that did not have peer-reviewed[br]evidence or information,

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I could clearly saw the evidences[br]and claims for myself

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were not accurate,

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and because of that,

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and the health care professionals[br]I was able to speak with,

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and the information provided to me,

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I was able to make clear, concise,[br]and scientific decision.

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Approaching this issue[br]with the concern of education

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and addressing misinformation properly

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can cause change, as it did for me.

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Now, although the debate around vaccines

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is not necessarily centered on information[br]and concern for health and safety,

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this is why education is important[br]and also misinformation is so dangerous.

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Subtitles by Maurício Kakuei Tanaka[br]Review by Jenny Lam-Chowdhury