A Texas state legislator accused a vaccine scientist of “sorcery” after Peter Hotez, professor and dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, expressed concern about the rise in the number of Texas parents opting not to have their children vaccinated.
“We have more than 64,000 kids not getting vaccinated in the state of Texas, and that doesn’t account for the over 300,000 home-schooled kids,” Hotez said in an interview after the Texas Department of State Health Services issued a report Monday that the state recorded a 14 percent rise in parents opting out of their children’s vaccinations.
When Hotez took his concerns about the report to Twitter, he received an unexpected personal attack from a Republican state legislator, Rep. Jonathan Stickland.
“You are bought and paid for by the biggest special interest in politics,” Stickland wrote. “Do our state a favor and mind your own business. Parental rights mean more to us than your self enriching ‘science.’”
In a tweeted response, Hotez, a pediatrician, noted to Stickland that he does not receive money from the vaccine industry; instead, his work focuses on “neglected disease vaccines for the world’s poorest people.”
Stickland, who told The Washington Post he is “not anti-vaccination,” tweeted his response to Hotez.
“Make the case for your sorcery to consumers on your own dime,” the Republican, who represents an area of suburban Fort Worth, snapped back Tuesday. “Quit using the heavy hand of government to make your business profitable through mandates and immunity.”
On Wednesday, Stickland said he backs “parental rights.” In fact, he said, “parents should take that responsibility seriously.”