Anti-vaxxer mom is headed to jail after refusing to immunize her 9-year-old son

After refusing to immunize her nine-year-old son, Rebecca Bredow was sentenced this Wednesday for failing to follow a court order demanding that she do so.

Her ex-husband has been awarded temporary primary custody and plans to make sure the boy is up to date on all of his shots.

According to the law, parents in Michigan can skip vaccinations, but only if they come into conflict with their personal beliefs. But back in 2016, Bredow made an agreement with her ex-husband that allowed for the child to be immunized, but she later reneged on that agreement.

This Wednesday she was sentenced for disobeying a court order to have her son vaccinated.

From the BBC:

She and her ex-husband decided at the time of their child’s birth that they would space out and delay jabs for their son.

The couple separated in 2008, according to ABC News, but they shared parental custody and the father still wanted the boy vaccinated.

Oakland County Court Judge Karen McDonald said that even though Bredow was the child’s primary caregiver: “Dad gets a say.”

Speaking in court this Wednesday, Bredow declared that she’s “an educated vaccine-choice mother” and that vaccinating her child “goes against my beliefs.”

“God forbid he were to be injured by one of the vaccines, then what, that’s what scares me,” she said

“I would rather sit behind bars standing up for what I believe in, than giving in to something I strongly don’t believe in,” she added.

According to Mlive, vaccination rates in Michigan are among the lowest in the country, with a ranking of 43rd in the nation for children between the ages of 19 and 35 months.

Back in 2015, lawmakers in the state required parents seeking a waiver to meet with a county health professional. A form is then signed with the parent’s statement of acknowledgment they could be putting other people’s kids at risk by refusing vaccinations.

Watch a report on the story from WXYZ below:

Featured image via screen grab

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.