Dr. Paul Thomas and DeeDee Hoover join Dr. Elizabeth Mumper of the Independent Medical Alliance to talk about informed consent, parental rights, and how to navigate vaccine decisions with clarity and confidence.

What Happens When Parents Go Silent in the Exam Room?

Most parents will push back in a lot of situations — with a school principal, a coach, even a dentist. But something shifts inside a pediatrician's office. The clinical setting, the white coat, the time pressure — they can combine to close off questions that parents came in ready to ask. Many parents leave feeling rushed, unheard, or unclear about what just happened to their child.
That dynamic — and what parents can do about it — is exactly what Dr. Paul Thomas and DeeDee Hoover addressed in a recent live webinar hosted by the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA). The conversation, titled Parents' Voices Matter: Informed Consent and Vaccine Choice, was hosted by IMA Senior Fellow in Pediatric Education Dr. Elizabeth Mumper and included a live Q&A with the audience.

​Two Skits That Show the Difference

The conversation went beyond discussion. Dr. Paul and DeeDee performed two live skits that illustrated the contrast parents face in real exam room situations.
In the first skit, Dr. Paul played the role of a pediatrician administering the vaccines typically given at a 6-month well-baby visit — 9 to 10 vaccines — in a setting that reflected the pressure many parents experience. The scene was difficult to watch for a reason. DeeDee's tears during the skit were real. They reflect years of bearing witness to the grief of families whose babies and children were seriously harmed — or who did not survive — following vaccination.
In the second skit, DeeDee demonstrated what it looks like to advocate for your child with confidence, maintain your dignity as a parent, and leave the appointment without vaccines if that is your choice. Dr. Mumper closed with a reminder she shared from a friend: when facing pressure to vaccinate, "No" is a complete sentence.

​What the Data Shows

Dr. Paul made a direct statement during the webinar that parents deserve to understand:
"For every vaccine on the CDC childhood immunization schedule, your child is more likely to die from the vaccine than from the disease you are vaccinating for" — Dr. Paul Thomas
The data behind that statement is significant. Dr. Paul noted that total deaths in the US each year from all diseases for which vaccines exist is fewer than 50, while deaths attributed to SIDS and suffocation — which he described as at least 80% vaccine-caused — run somewhere between 2,000 and 4,000 annually.
For a thorough, referenced examination of this data, Dr. Paul and DeeDee's 2025 book Vax Facts walks through the evidence in plain language, with citations, across vaccines and age groups. It is available wherever books are sold, or for a signed and personalized copy — which directly supports the authors — visit vaxfactsbook.com.

​Watch the Full Webinar

The complete interview, including the live audience Q&A, is available on the IMA website:​ Watch: Parents' Voices Matter — Informed Consent and Vaccine Choice
Resources & Links
#InformedConsent, #VaccineChoice, #ParentsVoicesMatter, #VaxFacts, #DrPaulThomas, #DeeDeeHoover, #KidsFirst4Ever, #PediatricHealth, #ChildHealth, #IMA, @PaulThomasMD, @KidsFirst4Ever, @IMAhealthorg
The information shared in this post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It does not establish a doctor–patient relationship. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional regarding medical decisions for your child.