Anti-vax mum's son immunised while she's jailed for defying court order
A US mum jailed for defying a court order to vaccinate her young son says she’s outraged he’s been given several immunisations while she’s been locked away.
Rebecca Bredow was last week sentenced for contempt of court nearly a year after an Oakland County judge ordered her to have her nine-year-old son vaccinated.
“I would rather go to jail for standing up for what I believe in than vaccinating my child,” Bredow said prior to sentencing.
She said she couldn’t adhere to the judge’s order based on her “own religious beliefs”.
Less than one week on, the Detroit mother says it’s been the “worst five days” of her life, compounded by the news her son had been immunised.
"It's been a rough few days to say the least ... I just found out that he was vaccinated and I'm not going to get him back today," she told the Washington Post.
Her ex-husband, Jason Horne, chose to abide by the court order and had their son vaccinated on Monday.
In Michigan, parents have the right to opt out of immunisation for children for non-medical reasons, but Bredow had reneged on an agreement made with Mr Horne in November 2016 to have their two children immunised.
Judge Karen McDonald said the boy had two parents and "dad gets a say."
The ruling has sparked an intense debate on social media since the case made headlines around the world.
