The Ohio State Medical Board has suspended the medical license of Dr. Sherri Tenpenny, a Cleveland area physician who made false and outrageous claims about COVID-19 vaccines, such as causing people to become magnetized and interface with cell towers.
Tenpenny, who has been a vocal opponent of vaccines for years, testified before an Ohio House committee in 2021 in support of a bill that would prohibit employers from mandating vaccinations. She told lawmakers that the vaccines contain metal particles that make people magnetic and connect them to 5G networks.
“I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures all over the Internet of people who have had these shots and now they’re magnetized,” Tenpenny said in her testimony. “They can put a key on their forehead. It sticks. They can put spoons and forks all over them and they can stick, because now we think that there’s a metal piece to that.”
“There has been people who have long suspected that there was some sort of an interface, yet to be defined interface, between what’s being injected in these shots and all of the 5G towers,” Tenpenny added.
Tenpenny also alleged that some cities liquified dead bodies and poured them into the water supply, and that the vaccines could cause infertility, autoimmune diseases, and death.
Her testimony drew widespread ridicule and condemnation from health experts, politicians, and media outlets. The medical board received more than 350 complaints about Tenpenny and launched an investigation into her conduct.
However, Tenpenny refused to cooperate with the board, claiming that it had no legal basis for the inquiry. She ignored letters, subpoenas, and requests for interviews and evidence. The board suspended her license indefinitely on procedural grounds and fined her $3,000.
“The board’s action today sends a clear message: There is no place in the medical profession for doctors who spread false information that could harm public health,” said Stephanie Loucka, director of the Ohio Department of Aging and president of the medical board.
“She’s been out there spreading misinformation about the vaccine, about coronavirus,” said Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. “She’s been one of the more vocal voices in this anti-vaccine movement.”
Tenpenny has not commented on the suspension, but she has continued to post anti-vaccine messages on social media. She has also promoted her online courses and books on vaccine safety, which cost hundreds of dollars.
The suspension of Tenpenny’s license comes as Ohio faces a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations due to the highly contagious delta variant. The state has reported more than 1.2 million cases and over 20,000 deaths since the pandemic began. Only about 46% of Ohioans are fully vaccinated, below the national average of 50%.
Relevant articles:
– This doctor said vaccines magnetize people. Ohio suspended her medical license., The Washington Post, August 11, 2023
– Medical license suspended for Ohio doctor who claimed vaccines ‘magnetized’ people, MSN, August 9, 2023
– Ohio doctor has Medical license suspended; Claimed vaccines ‘magnetized’ people, MSN, August 10, 2023
– Medical board suspends license of doctor who said COVID vaccines make people magnetic, Yahoo News, August 10, 2023