Mother jailed for failing to vaccinate son

You may have seen the article in the news regarding a mother that was jailed for failing to vaccinate her son.

Oakland County Judge Karen McDonald found that Rebecca Bredow was in contempt of court, for failing to vaccinate her son, despite her prior agreement that her son would be vaccinated. As a result, she was sentenced to five (5) days in jail, and her son was vaccinated.

In addition, based upon Ms. Bredow’s conduct and failure to vaccinate her son, she lost primary physical custody, and will now share joint custody, with her ex-husband.

This story not only sparks discussion regarding vaccinations; but, also the importance of abiding by the court’s orders. Judge McDonald had given Ms. Bredow seven days to get her child vaccinated, and stated that if the child was not vaccinated by the next time the parties were in court the following week, she would order jail time. Ms. Bredow again failed to comply with the judge’s order, and was consequently sentenced to jail. It is imperative that you abide by the judge’s orders, so that you do not find yourself in a similar situation.

For more information on your obligations under current court orders, contact our office at (586) 264-3756.