'I would rather sit behind bars': Anti-vaxx mother refuses judges order to immunise son

A mother in the United States who defied a judge’s order to immunise her son has been sentenced to one week in prison.

Rebecca Bredow was sentenced to seven days in prison for refusing to comply with judge's order to have child immunised after agreement with her former husband. Source: WXYZ

Rebecca Bredow, from Michigan, was sentenced to seven days in prison for contempt of court after refusing to immunise her son because it goes against what she believes in.

In Michigan it is legal for parents to put off vaccinations due to personal beliefs.

However, Ms Bredow agreed with her former husband to have her nine-year-old son immunised in 2016 and was recently ordered by Judge Karen McDonald to follow through with the agreement.

Ms Bredow refused the order and was sentenced on Wednesday, according to the BBC.

The anti-vaxxer told court that immunisation "goes against my beliefs".

"I would rather sit behind bars standing up for what I believe in, than giving in to something I strongly don't believe in," she also added.

Immunisation in the United States falls under state and local jurisdiction.

School’s have the ability to refuse a child’s attendance if parents don’t follow their vaccination guidelines.

Parents can also be jailed for truancy if they fail to meet these guidelines.

This is why anti-vaccination parents are choosing to homeschool their children, according to President of the National Vaccine Information Centre Barbara Fisher.