The Experience Miracles Podcast

Informed Choices in Vaccines: Parents, Pressure, and the Power of Advocacy w/ Informed Choice Iowa

Sep 30, 2025

Vaccine Informed Choice for Parents: Science, Rights, and What Iowa Just Won

Episode 143, Experience Miracles Podcast | Host: Dr. Tony Ebel, DC, CACCP, Pediatric Chiropractor & Founder of PX Docs | Published: September 30, 2024 | Duration: ~45 min Guests: Lindsey, Microbiology Researcher & Legislative Liaison, Informed Choice Iowa | Gabby, Vice President, Informed Choice Iowa

Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. childhood vaccine schedule has expanded from 3 vaccines covering 7 antigens in the early 1980s to 72 doses targeting 13–14 diseases today—a change Lindsey argues has never been adequately examined for its cumulative impact on the developing immune system.
  • Gabby signed hospital paperwork consenting to her newborn’s Hepatitis B vaccine while alone, post-emergency C-section, and under the effects of an epidural—a story that reflects a pattern of medical pressure at its most intense and vulnerable moment for families.
  • Informed Choice Iowa secured a historic Iowa state law (effective July 1, 2024) requiring all schools and daycare providers to proactively disclose that medical and religious vaccine exemptions are legal options for families—changing what parents are told at enrollment.
  • Lindsey’s microbiology background led her to question vaccine ingredients she recognized from graduate lab work—including formaldehyde and trypsin—and to question whether the immune system should be repeatedly stimulated at such high frequency in early childhood.
  • Dr. Tony Ebel advises parents who feel uncertain to pause and give themselves time rather than comply under pressure: you can always add a vaccine later but cannot undo one already given.

What Does “Informed Choice” Actually Mean for Vaccine Decisions?

Informed choice in the context of childhood vaccines means parents have full access to the risks, benefits, and alternatives of every vaccination before consenting—and that the decision remains voluntary, free of coercion or misleading statements. According to Dr. Tony Ebel, DC, CACCP, and his guests from Informed Choice Iowa, most families are not currently receiving this standard of care.

In this episode, Dr. Tony Ebel interviews Gabby and Lindsey, co-founders of Informed Choice Iowa (ICI)—a nonprofit focused on legislative advocacy and parent education around medical choice. Lindsey brings a graduate-level microbiology background; Gabby brings firsthand experience with hospital pressure during her daughter’s birth. Together, they make the case that informed choice is not a sheet of paper handed to you mid-appointment. It requires asking questions, finding providers who partner rather than pressure, and connecting with a community of parents navigating the same terrain.

The conversation covers the expansion of the vaccine schedule, the science of immune system overstimulation, how ICI passed landmark legislation in Iowa, and practical strategies for parents who are questioning, delaying, or declining vaccines for their children.

How Two Iowa Moms Became Health Freedom Advocates [00:07:00 – 00:13:00]

Lindsey: My path started when I was having children. A couple of friends mentioned they weren’t going to vaccinate, and that completely surprised me—I had never heard that before. One of them said, “Just look at the ingredients before you make your decision.” So I did.

I have a microbiology background. I studied Ebola virus viral entry at graduate school at the University of Iowa. When I looked at the vaccine ingredient lists, I recognized what was in there from lab work—formaldehyde, trypsin, cell culture media. These are reagents we worked with when making virus in the lab. You don’t get everything out in purification. That was my first stop.

The second thing that struck me was the scale of the schedule change. I’m an early-eighties baby. When I was born, the schedule was three vaccines covering seven different antigens. Today’s schedule is 72 doses targeting 13 to 14 different infections. Nobody was asking whether we should be stimulating the immune system that frequently, or whether there was a cumulative effect of doing so in early childhood.

We told our pediatrician we were going to wait and decide which vaccines we’d do along the way. The more we researched, the more we said no. My oldest is a teenager now.

Dr. Tony Ebel: Lindsay’s story captures something important. Getting people intrigued is the first step—not overwhelming them. She went to chemistry and biochemistry; other parents will go to the legal angle and realize you can’t sue the manufacturer; others will go to the historical angle. Whatever gets someone to open their eyes a little, to open their minds a little—that’s where this all starts. Then we can say: here’s the science, here’s the truth, here’s the path forward.

“Do I really want to trade a slightly, marginally lower risk for a disease that isn’t even in the community at all for a markedly, massively increased risk of autoimmune and chronic issues? Which by the way, the medical system—they’re sure good at creating it, but they don’t have any help for it.”, Dr. Tony Ebel

Gabby’s Hospital Story: Signing Under Duress [00:14:00 – 00:19:00]

Gabby: My daughter is eight years old now. Right before I went to the hospital, my mom tried to raise questions about vaccines. I pushed it aside—”Everyone does it. I would’ve heard something if it was really that bad.”

I ended up having an emergency C-section. They were pumping medication into me. I had an epidural. I was loopy. My daughter came back into the room and I was alone. The nurse came in and said, “We need you to sign all these papers.” So I signed all of them.

I probably would have consented to the Hepatitis B vaccine anyway at that point—I hadn’t made up my mind. But there was no one else in the room. No one to ask a question with.

A few days later my mom gave me the “Truth About Vaccines” documentary series. My daughter was days old. I was struggling to breastfeed, and I watched what I could. I knew immediately I was not following the full schedule. There was still enormous social pressure, and I didn’t have Lindsey’s chemistry background to lean on. We went ahead with one DTaP because a neighbor had pertussis—but we stopped there. We lost some friends. I was told I would kill my child. My ex-husband and I kept it very quiet.

Then COVID happened, I attended ICI’s first conference, and I haven’t stopped talking about it since.

Dr. Tony Ebel: There are two very different stories here, and that’s intentional. Lindsey’s path was through science—she saw the ingredients and said, “I recognize those from the lab.” Gabby’s was through lived pressure at her most vulnerable moment. Both paths lead to the same place: a parent who feels they weren’t given a real choice.

That’s what we need. Not a single script. Just get people intrigued. From there, there are a lot of roads.

Finding a Provider Who Partners, Not Pressures [00:20:00 – 00:23:00]

Gabby: The biggest shift for my family was finding a pediatrician who didn’t push vaccines. When we went in for early well-baby checks, there were no vaccines waiting in the room. The nurses understood it was my decision. No questions asked. We stopped going to well-baby checks after 12 months because she was healthy. We go to the chiropractor regularly instead.

I tell parents: for your back-to-school visit, go to the chiropractor. There’s no pressure. There’s just nervous system support.

Dr. Tony Ebel: Two practical strategies for parents in the middle of this decision. First: pause. Give yourself time. You’re not required to vaccinate at the two-month, six-month, or twelve-month visit. You can always add a vaccine in later. But you can’t take one back.

“The most effective strategy when you’re right smack in the middle of the decision-making matrix is to just give yourself time. You can’t go back where we are… but you could always add it in later.”, Dr. Tony Ebel

Second: find a different provider if yours won’t engage with your questions. If your physician does not entertain questions, does not answer questions, or dismisses your questions when you ask them—that’s not your doctor.

“If you have a doctor who does not entertain questions, does not answer questions, or when they do, they dismiss the questions by answering the questions… that’s not your doctor. They must work in partnership with you.”, Dr. Tony Ebel

The Microbiome, Immune Overstimulation, and the Chronic Illness Connection [00:24:00 – 00:30:00]

Lindsey: People ask why we should be skeptical. My starting point is simple: medical error is among the leading causes of death in America. Physicians are not infallible, and asking questions is how you get quality care.

The most underappreciated fact in this conversation: you are covered—inside and out—with trillions of microbes. Bacteria, viruses, fungi. They’re nearly as numerous as your own cells and they work alongside your body to keep you healthy—making vitamins, digesting food, protecting you from pathogens on your skin.

We’re vaccinating for 13 to 14 different infections. There are over 200 strains of human papillomavirus alone. There are literally thousands of viruses and bacteria in the environment. The math of “vaccinate for 13 things or else” doesn’t add up against how human immunity actually evolved.

The route of exposure matters, too. You have skin. You have mucous membranes. Those systems exist to filter and modulate what enters the body. Injecting bypasses all of that. When you overstimulate the immune system through that route—especially in early infancy when it’s still maturing—you risk training it toward chronic illness patterns rather than acute disease resilience.

A lot of today’s autoimmune conditions aren’t even being tracked at a nationwide level. Hypothyroid, autoimmune conditions beyond basic allergies—we don’t actually know how much these have increased because we haven’t been systematically measuring.

Dr. Tony Ebel: Adjuvants—like aluminum—are in vaccines specifically to hyperstimulate the immune response. When you combine that level of stimulation, that early in life, that often, you are training the immune system for chronic illness. And the immune system is not separate from the nervous system. That’s where we see the downstream connection to autism, ADHD, and seizures. No system operates in isolation.

Think about the trade: you’re offered a marginally lower risk for diseases that may not even be circulating in your community. What’s on the other side of that trade? An immune system that’s been repeatedly provoked toward a chronic illness posture. The medical system is good at creating that outcome—but it doesn’t have much help to offer once it gets there.

Informed Choice Iowa’s Mission and Legislative Victory [00:31:00 – 00:35:00]

Gabby: Informed Choice Iowa doesn’t tell parents to get all vaccines or to get none. We want parents to have the education to make the decision that’s right for their family. A lot of families who go deep into the research do stop vaccinating—but that’s their conclusion to reach.

ICI runs on two pillars: education and legislation.

Lindsey: In 2017, we wrote letters to every school district in Iowa informing them of existing state law—that medical and religious exemptions are legal and must be disclosed. Eight years later, we turned that into statute.

In our most recent legislative session, we were monitoring 23 bills we supported. Five we were watching. Zero we were trying to kill. That’s a complete 180 from where we started.

The bill we passed this year seems obvious in retrospect. It required schools and daycare providers to disclose to parents that medical and religious exemptions are available and legal under Iowa law. Many schools were telling families, “You have to be vaccinated to attend school.” That wasn’t true—and now they are legally required to say otherwise.

Gabby: I was on my local school board and brought this directly to our superintendent. He told me he was not legally required to disclose the exemptions. I texted Lindsey immediately: we are going to make him disclose it.

The law became effective July 1, 2024. It hit the six o’clock news: “You don’t have to vaccinate your kids to go to school.” That was remarkable to hear on local television.

“It’s a mentality. It’s a foundational principle you really want to have for your family where you’re constantly wanting to know. You need to know. You deserve to know, and you can’t make your best decisions without full access to the information.”, Dr. Tony Ebel

What True Informed Choice Really Means [00:36:00 – 00:39:00]

Gabby: Informed choice is not the sheet of paper your pediatrician hands you as they’re preparing the syringe. True informed choice requires understanding the risks, benefits, and alternatives for every intervention, and it requires that the decision be voluntary—free of threats or coercion.

Parents need to do real research. They need to know the laws in their state. And they need to ask questions beyond vaccines, too. New sports physical forms are requesting personal health information from children—information families don’t legally have to disclose. Knowing what you’re required to share is part of informed choice.

Dr. Tony Ebel: It’s a foundational mindset for your family. Constantly questioning. Slowing down decisions until you have the right information. Refusing to move forward until you feel confident. And not doing it alone.

The Critical Importance of Finding Your Community [00:39:00 – 00:42:00]

Gabby: When you’re a first-time mom sitting in the doctor’s office and the only voice you hear is telling you to vaccinate, that voice fills the whole room. Having a community around you—other parents asking the same questions, thinking the same things—that changes everything. It confirms that your instinct wasn’t wrong.

Lindsey: The gut feeling parents get when something doesn’t feel right—trust it. Community amplifies it. It also gives you the resources, information, and support to act on it.

Dr. Tony Ebel: No matter what state you live in, there is a group near you. There are informed parents, organizations, and practitioners who operate on a different model. To get out of a system that pressures you, you need somewhere to go for answers and care.

Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care is one of those places. Parents who bring their children to a PX Docs provider aren’t met with vaccination pressure—they’re met with nervous system assessment, honest conversation, and a provider who thinks about health from the root cause up.

November 21st “Reclaim Your Health” Conference [00:42:00 – end]

Lindsey: This year’s ICI annual conference is November 21st in Des Moines, Iowa. We’re doing things differently this year. Rather than just building scientific knowledge—though that foundation matters—we want parents to leave with tangible action steps they can implement at home.

We’ve also started a moms’ panel, which has been one of the most powerful elements. Hearing another mom say “I went through exactly what you’re going through”—that empowers families to stand strong for their children.

Dr. Tony Ebel will be speaking to kick off the conference.

To connect with Informed Choice Iowa: visit informedchoiceiowa.com or find them on Instagram and Facebook. From their site, you can access resources, connect with local groups, and find links to other advocacy organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do parents have the legal right to delay or skip vaccines for their children?

In most U.S. states, parents can decline or delay vaccines through medical or religious exemptions. The specific rules vary by state. In Iowa, a 2024 law now legally requires schools and daycares to inform families that these exemptions exist and are valid—something many schools were previously not disclosing. Dr. Tony Ebel advises parents to understand their state’s exemption laws and find a provider who will support rather than pressure their choices.

What changed about the vaccine schedule since the 1980s?

Lindsey from Informed Choice Iowa explains that in the early 1980s, the childhood vaccine schedule consisted of roughly three vaccines covering seven antigens. Today’s schedule includes 72 doses targeting 13 to 14 different diseases. Informed Choice Iowa raises questions about whether the cumulative impact of this expanded schedule on the developing immune system has been adequately studied—particularly around the frequency of immune stimulation in early infancy.

Can repeated vaccination cause autoimmune or chronic health issues?

Lindsey’s microbiology background leads her to argue that repeatedly stimulating an immature immune system—especially through injection, which bypasses natural skin and mucosal barriers—can train it toward chronic inflammatory and autoimmune patterns. Dr. Tony Ebel adds that the nervous system and immune system are deeply interconnected, and disruption to immune regulation has downstream implications for conditions like autism, ADHD, and seizures.

What should I do if I feel pressured by my doctor to vaccinate?

Dr. Tony Ebel’s advice: give yourself time. You are not required to make the decision at any particular appointment. You can always add a vaccine later, but you cannot undo one already given. If your physician refuses to engage with your questions or dismisses your concerns, find a provider who will work in partnership with you. Connecting with a community of informed parents through organizations like Informed Choice Iowa also helps.

What did Informed Choice Iowa accomplish legislatively?

Informed Choice Iowa passed a landmark Iowa law effective July 1, 2024, requiring all schools and daycare providers to proactively disclose to families that medical and religious vaccine exemptions are legal under Iowa law. Many schools had been telling families vaccination was required for enrollment—without disclosing the exemption options. The law changes that, ensuring parents receive accurate information before making enrollment decisions.

How do I find a healthcare provider who respects medical informed choice?

Dr. Tony Ebel recommends seeking providers who ask questions and listen rather than direct and dismiss. A Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care office is one place families can receive care without vaccination pressure—with nervous system assessment and root-cause health support. Use the PX Docs directory to find a practitioner near you.

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