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Mother jailed for refusing to vaccinate her nine-year-old son for religious reasons

<em>Rebecca Bredow has been jailed for a week for failing to get her son immunised (Police handout)</em>
Rebecca Bredow has been jailed for a week for failing to get her son immunised (Police handout)

A mother has been jailed for seven days for refusing to vaccinate her nine-year-old son on religious grounds.

Rebecca Bredow, from Ferndale, Michigan, violated an agreement to have the vaccinations done after a court ordered her to get them done in October 2016.

Her ex-husband, James Horne, wanted their son to be vaccinated but Bredow is the primary carer.

<em>Bredow claimed her religious beliefs stopped her from getting her son vaccinated (Rex/stock photo)</em>
Bredow claimed her religious beliefs stopped her from getting her son vaccinated (Rex/stock photo)

Bredow, 40, told Oakland County Judge Karen McDonald that immunising her child went against her religious beliefs.

She added that she was a “passionate mother who cares deeply about her children, their health and their well-being” but takes “full responsibility” for her actions.

The mum-of-two told the court: “I couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

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Judge McDonald said the boy has two parents and “dad gets a say”.

Mr Horne’s lawyer said neither parents practiced any religious beliefs and that the objection was “a convenient lie.”

Judge McDonald sentenced Bredow to a week in jail for contempt of court and placed the boy in temporary custody of his dad.