Judge orders Michigan mom 7 days in jail for not vaccinating her son

OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WJBK) - A judge has ordered a Michigan mom to spend seven days in jail for not vaccinating her son.

An Oakland County judge told Rebecca Bredow on Wednesday that she violated an agreement to have the procedure done. Her ex-husband wanted their son vaccinated, but Bredow is the primary caregiver.

Bredow had a court hearing Wednesday morning in Oakland County Circuit Court, and had not yet followed through with the vaccination. A judge ordered her to jail for a week.

Judge Karen McDonald says the boy has two parents and "Dad gets a say." 

Bredow, a Ferndale resident, told the judge that she takes "full responsibility" for her actions. She says vaccinations go against her beliefs and she should have raised her objections sooner.

In response, McDonald reminded Bredow that she agreed to the immunizations.

Earlier this year, the State of Michigan launched a social media and TV campaign to encourage parents to vaccinate their children.

State of Michigan launches campaign aimed to boost vaccine rates

Michigan has one of the lowest childhood immunization rates in the country. The state rank 43rd in the nation for vaccination rates of kids under 3. Moreso, only 54 percent of Michigan toddlers are up-to-date on their vaccinations. The state says this puts the population at risk for an increase in vaccine-preventable diseases.