WATCH: Teen explains why he defied mother's anti-vaccination ideas

Thank you, Chairman Alexander,
senator Murray,

and distinguished committee members

for the opportunity to speak today.

Good morning, everyone.

As I stated, my name
is Ethan Lindenberger,

and I'm a senior in Norwalk High School,

and my mother is an anti-vax advocate

who believes vaccines
cause autism, brain damage,

and do not benefit the health
and safety of society

despite the fact such opinions
have been debunked numerous times

by the scientific community.

I went my entire life
without numerous vaccines

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

However, in December of 2018,

I began catching up
on my missed immunizations

despite my mother's disapproval,

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

and I'm very happy for that.

So, thank you.

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

I have to share some details
about my home left, my upbring.

I grew up understanding
my mother's beliefs

that vaccines are dangerous,

as she would speak openly
about these views.

Both online and in-person,

she would voice her concerns

and her beliefs were met
with strong criticism.

Over the course of my life,
seeds of doubts were planted,

and questions arose

because of the backslash
my mother would receive.

But overtime that didn't really
lead anywhere.

Now, it's important to understand

that as I approached high school
and began to critically think for myself,

I saw that the information
in defense of vaccines

outweighed the concerns heavily.

I began leading debate clubs in my school
and pursuing truth above all else,

and I realized one certain
quality in debates

and in conversations in general

when they come to see
controversial discussions

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