A Texas lawmaker called vaccine research 'sorcery,' igniting a Twitter feud
A vaccine researcher in Texas tweeted a map this week that showed an upward trend in vaccine exemptions in the Lone Star State. More and more, parents were opting school-age children out of getting vaccinated.
"Calling on our TX elected leaders to say 'NO MAS' and standup for our children!" the researcher, Dr. Peter Hotez, tweeted, imploring lawmakers do away with exemption laws that are leading to an increase in unvaccinated children. You are bought and paid for by the biggest special interest in politics. Do our state a favor and mind your own business. Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching"science.
— Jonathan Stickland May 7, 2019 One Texas lawmaker struck back, igniting a Twitter feud.Texas state Rep. Jonathan Stickland told him,"Do our state a favor and mind your own business. Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching 'science.'"Hotez responded,"Wow that's impressive, from a member of the Texas House of Representatives."Read MoreThe lawmaker went on to call the vaccine researcher's work"sorcery.
— Jonathan Stickland May 7, 2019 The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated,"Vaccines are safe. Vaccines are effective. Vaccines save lives." Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, has experienced a pattern of harassment for his advocacy. But he said he had not been specifically targeted by a member of the Texas House of Representatives until now. Her son died.
Hotez said Strickland's comments show that the anti-vax movement has become mainstream."It is now fully integrated into public life of this country," Hotez said."It's an example of how pervasive the anti-vaccine movement is right now, and now to try to start dismantling it is going to be really hard work." CNN's Michael Nedelman contributed to this report.
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