DETROIT, MI (WCMH) – A Michigan mother could end up behind bars for not vaccinating her son after a disagreement with the child’s father turned into a court battle.
Rebecca Bedrow was ordered by an Oakland County judge to vaccinate her son and was told that if she didn’t do it within one week, she would be thrown in jail.
Bedrow, a mother of two, told WXYZ that parents should have the right to decide for themselves whether or not their children should be vaccinated based on their knowledge of vaccines and their children.
“I would rather sit behind bars for standing up for what I believe in than giving in to something I strongly don’t believe in,” Bedrow said.
Bedrow said she read numerous research papers and studies about vaccines and decided to space out and delay the vaccinations for her young children.
“It wasn’t until they started grouping them together that I backed off doing vaccines,” Bedrow said.
Bedrow decided a waiver would be the best route for her son, but the child’s father disagrees. Their conflict has turned into a court battle.
“I feel angry,” Bedrow, who is the primary caregiver for the child, said. “I feel backed into a corner. I feel like my rights as a parent have been taken away. Why automatically side with the father that wants the vaccines?”
The state of Michigan allows parents to obtain waivers for religious, personal and medical exemptions for parents who choose to delay or skip vaccinations.