Whether or not a parent allows his or her child to have get a vaccination has been an ongoing debate for decades. Some say vaccinations are linked to various diseases or conditions like autism. Now, a Michigan woman who defied a court order and refused to have her son vaccinated is facing jail time.
Rebecca Bredow was cited for contempt of court in the contentious custody last school year, and ordered to spend seven days in jail for the offense, the Washington Post reported.
The court order to vaccinate her 9-year-old was issued a year ago, and her attorney had signed that order, the Post reported. She had until Wednesday to get what would have been up to eight vaccines for her son. But Bredow decided to take a stand instead.
“I’m a passionate mother who cares deeply about my children, their health and their well-being. If my child was forced to be vaccinated, I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” Bredow testified during the contempt of court hearing, the Associated Press reported.
As of July 2016, no US federal vaccination laws exist, but all 50 states have laws requiring children to be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (generally in a DTaP vaccine); polio (an IPV vaccine); and measles and rubella (generally in an MMR vaccine).
Claims of vaccinations being associated with mental conditions have been widely refuted by physicians and medical profession. Some public health officials say the trend has triggered spikes in the rates of childhood diseases such as measles.
All 50 states allow medical exemptions, 47 states allow religious exemptions, and 17 states allow philosophical exemptions. DC allows medical and religious exemptions. Missouri and Nebraska offer philosophical exemptions only for children entering childcare and Head Start facilities. While reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, do not rely on this information without first checking with your local school or government.
In 2015, the Governor of California signed legislation giving the state one of the toughest school vaccine laws in the country.
California children will no longer be able to skip the shots normally required to attend school because of their parents’ religious or personal objections. Unvaccinated children will still be able to attend school if there is a medical reason why they’re not able to be immunized, such as treatment for cancer.
Bredow told the Post that she is not against vaccination altogether. “This is about choice. This is about having my choices as a mother to be able to make medical choices for my child,” she said.
The ruling is the latest round in a long-running custody fight with her ex-husband, James Horne. He wants their son vaccinated and shares joint custody of the child, the AP reported.
The judge weighed in on Bredow’s decision to fight the order.
“I understand you love your children. But what I don’t think you understand is that your son has two parents, and dad gets a say,” Judge Karen McDonald told Bredow in court.
Horne has been granted temporary custody of his son so the child can be vaccinated.
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