An American mother who refused to vaccinate her son was jailed

Rebecca Bredow from Michigan was sentenced to seven days in prison after she failed to comply with a court order to vaccinate her nine-year-old son.

On Wednesday, October 4, a woman was sentenced for failing to comply with court requirements — a year ago, an Oakland County judge ordered her to vaccinate her son. By October 4, Bridou was obliged to make sure that the child had the necessary eight vaccinations. However, the mother refused to do this, citing religious beliefs.

"I am a loving mother who cares about her children, their health and well-being… And if my child is forced to get vaccinated, I refuse to do it," the woman said during the hearing.

Source: The Washington Post

Photo of Rebecca Bredow being escorted out of court in handcuffs. Sentenced to 7 days in jail for contempt pic.twitter.com/HJHtse169y

— Maxwell White (@MaxWhiteWXYZ) October 4, 2017

Bridow is fighting for custody of the child with her ex-husband James Horne. He wants their son to get all the necessary vaccinations. Prior to the sentencing, the parents had joint custody.

Judge Karen McDonald told Bridow: "I understand that you love your children. But I think you don't understand that your son has two parents and the father also has the right to vote."

Now the boy's father has been given temporary custody and obliged to vaccinate his child. Bridow's lawyer signed a judicial act in November, thus agreeing with the court's demands. "It is clear to me that you do not care about the court's orders, although you agreed with them," the judge said.

Bridow said in an interview that she was ready to go to jail. "I cannot give up my religious beliefs. It's all about choice. Now we are talking about my choice as a mother who has the right to make decisions about the treatment of a child."

A 2016 study published in the Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapy showed that parents either intentionally delay vaccination or refuse it for a number of reasons: religious, personal and philosophical beliefs, due to concerns about safety or lack of information from medical institutions.

The American Medical Association openly condemns the refusal of parents to vaccinate children against measles, mumps and other infectious diseases. Nevertheless, most American states, including Michigan, allow not to be vaccinated for religious and personal reasons.

In Michigan, parents or guardians of children attending public and private schools are required to listen to an educational lecture where they are told about diseases that prevent vaccinations.

Rebecca Bridow initially agreed with the court's decision to vaccinate her son, and then refused.