The Story of Dr. Sherri Tenpenny and the Magnetized Vaccine
For those who don’t remember, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny made headlines for a brief period in 2021 when she publicly denounced the COVID-19 vaccine.
Source: @NBCNews/YouTube
In June 2021, she was working as an osteopathic doctor in Cleveland, Ohio, when she gave testimony before lawmakers in support of a bill that would have banned vaccine mandates throughout the state. The words she said in that room then went viral.
Dr. Sherri Tenpenny Said COVID-19 Vaccine Magnetized People
Dr. Tenpenny told Ohio lawmakers, “I’m sure you’ve seen the pictures all over the Internet of people who have had these shots, and now they’re magnetized. You can put a key on their forehead—it sticks. You can put spoons and forks all over, and they can stick because now we think there is a metal piece to that.”
Source: Depositphotos
While this statement may sound absolutely ludicrous, it was actually a moderately widespread conspiracy theory at the time, so unfortunately, Dr. Tenpenny’s words were not immediately dismissed by everyone.
Dr. Tenpenny Also Claimed the Vaccine Caused “Interface” With 5G Towers
The Ohio lawmakers noted that she also made comments “regarding COVID-19 vaccines causing people to become magnetized or creating an interface with 5G towers… and regarding some major metropolitan areas liquefying dead bodies and pouring them into the water supply.”
Source: Freepik
Again, while these comments seem outrageous, Dr. Tenpenny wasn’t the only person making these claims at the time. However, she was one of the only doctors to say so at a political hearing.
The State Medical Board of Ohio Investigated Dr. Tenpenny
Because of these extreme views, the State Medical Board of Ohio felt they needed to investigate Dr. Tenpenny to ensure she was providing quality medical care to her patients.
Source: Ohio.gov
Throughout the two-year investigation, the Medical Board reported that Dr. Tenpenny refused to cooperate and continued to spread this misinformation around the Cleveland area and on her X (formerly Twitter) profile.
The State Medical Board Revoked Dr. Tenpenny’s Medical License
In August 2023, the State Medical Board of Ohio revoked Tenpenny’s medical license and issued a $3,000 civil fine for spreading misinformation.
Source: Freepik
However, it’s important to understand that the board claimed her medical license was not revoked because of her controversial vaccination theories.
The Revoking of Dr. Tenpenny’s Medical License Was Never About Her Vaccine Theories
Instead, the State Medical Board announced that her medical license was being revoked on the grounds that she had failed to comply with their investigation.
Source: Shutterstock
Though neither Tenpenny nor the millions of other anti-vaxxers throughout the country believed them. They argued that the board was misusing its power to silence doctors who didn’t believe in the vaccine.
Several States Attempted to Punish Medical Professionals Who Were Against the Vaccine
There certainly was some evidence to support this theory, as several other state medical boards were penalizing doctors who publicly denounced the vaccine.
Source: Freepik
In fact, from January 2021 to January 2022, eight physicians were sanctioned by medical boards throughout the United States for spreading COVID-19-related misinformation. Which many Americans argued was a direct violation of their First Amendment rights.
The Board Just Voted to Reinstate Dr. Tenpenny’s License
Whatever the reason behind it, the revoking of her license seemed to be the wake-up call that Tenpenny needed, as she immediately began cooperating with the board and their investigation.
Source: Quora
The State Medical Board of Ohio announced on April 10, 2024, “Sherri Tenpenny has met the Medical Board’s conditions for reinstatement, including submission of an application for reinstatement, payment of her fine, and certification of cooperation with the board’s investigation to date.”
The Board Just Voted to Reinstate Dr. Tenpenny’s License
That same day, they announced that the board voted 7-2 to reinstate Dr. Tenpenny’s medical license. As soon as the paperwork is processed, she will once again be able to practice medicine in Ohio.
Source: @BusyDrT/X
Dr. Tenpenny posted a photo on her X page less than a month later that read “Dr. Sherri Tenpenny Medical License Reinstated” with the caption, “Standing strong and steadfast! I’m thrilled to share that my medical license has been reinstated. Thank you all for your unwavering love and support but most importantly for your prayers during these challenging times.”
Dr. Tenpenny Never Retracted Her Statements Regarding the Vaccine
While the State Medical Board of Ohio reported that Dr. Tenpenny properly cooperated with their investigation, she never actually retracted her theories regarding the magnetization of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Source: iStock
In reality, the former and now reinstated doctor continued to post anti-vax articles and comments on her social media throughout this entire ordeal.
The Debate Regarding the COVID-19 Vaccine Is All But Over
Many argue that Dr. Tenpenny’s medical license reinstitution is not really about her cooperation with the investigation. It’s simply that the debate regarding the vaccine is all but over, so it really doesn’t matter anymore.
Source: Freepik
Collected data shows that about 81.3% of the US population received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. So it’s safe to say that Dr. Tenpenny’s or anyone else’s conspiracy theories and misinformation did very little to stop the masses from trusting the medicine.