Vials of Priorix, Synflorix and Hexyon children's vaccines, which combat diseases incuding mealses, mumps, rubella and chicken pox, stand on February 26, 2015 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Ohio teen whose story went viral after getting vaccinated against his mother’s wishes is set to testify before Congress today.
Ethan Lindenberger is in Washington Tuesday to testify before the Senate’s committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The committee is holding a hearing on vaccines called Vaccines Save Lives: What Is Driving Preventable Disease Outbreaks?
Lindenberger will be speaking alongside experts from the healthcare field, including the Secretary of Health for the state of Washington and professors of pediatrics from the University of Tennesee.
The 18-year-old’s story went viral after posting his desire to get vaccinated on Reddit, writing, ” because of their beliefs I’ve never been vaccinated for anything, god knows how I’m still alive. But, I’m a senior in high school now with a car, a license, and money of my own.”
This hearing comes after a large outbreak of measles in the Pacific Northwest where at least 75 people were sickened, most of whom were under the age of 10.
You can see that hearing above.