Mother refuses to get COVID vaccine, so judge deprives her of visitation rights [Updated]

Update 1 p.m. EDT: Cook County Judge James Shapiro overturned his earlier ruling and now allows an unvaccinated mother to see her son in person. “Judge Shapiro just issued an order quashing parts of his earlier August 11 order.^e so that Rebecca Firlit can see her son again, ”Annette Fernholz, Firlit’s lawyer, told WFLD.

Original story at 11:51 a.m. EDT: An Illinois judge has withdrawn visitation rights from the mother of an 11-year-old boy because she was not vaccinated against COVID-19.

Earlier this month, during a child support hearing held on Zoom, Cook County Circuit Court Judge James Shapiro asked whether Rebecca Firlit, the boy’s mother, had received the vaccine. She said no.

The judge said that until Firlit receives the vaccine, she cannot see her son in person, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report. Since the hearing, her interactions with him have been limited to phone calls and treatment packages. It is unclear what prompted Shapiro to ask the question, and the Cook County Clerk’s website was down for maintenance at the time of publication.

Firlit’s lawyer Annette Fernholz said her client would appeal the decision, adding that in making the decision the judge “was beyond his judicial authority”. Fernholz also said the ex-husband did not bring the case to the attention of the court.

Firlit, 39, works in an office and has been divorced from Matthew Duiven, her ex-husband, for seven years. Before the August hearing, the two shared custody of their son.

Duiven and his attorney, Jeffrey Leving, said they were happy with the judge’s ruling. “We support the judge’s decision,” Leving said. The father is vaccinated and intends to fight against Firlit’s call. “There are children who have died from COVID. I think every child should be safe. And I’m okay with the mother being vaccinated, ”Leving told WFLD.

According to WFLD, the two had shared their parenting duties 50-50, and the custody hearing was linked to child support. “One of the first things he asked me when I went on the Zoom call was whether I was vaccinated or not, which baffled me because I asked him what it had to do with it. do with the audience, ”Firlit told The Sun-Times. “I have had adverse reactions to vaccines in the past and my doctor advised me not to get the vaccine. This represents a risk. It has been two weeks since she saw her son.

The CDC advises against receiving any of the COVID vaccines only if a person has a history of a severe allergic reaction to previous doses or to components of the vaccine itself. The CDC has identified three ingredients that may cause reactions: in Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna injections, the troublesome ingredients are mRNA and polyethylene glycol (PEG); in the J&J photo, it’s polysorbate.

Without having received a previous dose of a COVID vaccine, it is unlikely that anyone will know if they have an mRNA allergy – no other mRNA vaccine or drug has been approved. If a patient has a PEG allergy, they are advised to take a dose of J&J, and if they have a polysorbate allergy, the CDC says it’s a precaution to get the mRNA shot. “Most people considered to have a precautionary measure for a COVID-19 vaccine at the time of their vaccination appointment can and should be given a vaccine,” the agency said.

The risks of contracting COVID are well documented and the risks of getting vaccinated are much lower. Vaccines for children 11 and under, however, have yet to be approved, making it all the more important that those around them have taken the proper precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.