Needles are scary Anti-vaccination movement |
Pricks against pricks |
Sherri J. Tenpenny is an osteopath[1] and an American professional anti-vaccination liar[2] who leverages her "Doctor of woo" status to promote discredited studies and anti-vax hysteria. She also happens to be a Dame of Malta (Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, commonly known as the Catholic order "Knights of Malta").[3]
Tenpenny has a prominent following on social media.[4] She will not engage in civil discourse with anyone who disagrees with her opinions, rather she follows the Food Babe social media mantra of deny, delete and block. She is effectively banned from Australia.[5][6]
In 2012 Tenpenny implied on social media that the Sandy Hook massacre was caused by a reaction to vaccines by JAQing off:[7]
“”I'd like to take it one step backward: How much "mental illness" in children starts from the 66 vaccine antigens and doses chemicals injected into developing brain by 6 months of age? Or the cumulative effects of 110 antigens by 5yr of age… Or by 12 years, the sum of 153 antigens (and measurable amounts of more than 63 different chemicals).
There is nothing "hysterical" about that statement — simply the facts about what comes through those needles.
|
—Tenpenny speaking about Sandy Hook mass murderer Adam Lanza[8] |
In 2021, a report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate listed her as one of the "Disinformation Dozen," a group of 12 people responsible for about 65% of COVID-19 related misinformation circulating online.[9]
In 2023, the Ohio State Medical Board investigated Tenpenny's wingnuttery. After treating the Board contemptuously, they indefinitely suspended her medical license.[10]
During the COVID-19 pandemic Tenpenny openly spoke against every measure used to contain Covid. She called masks useless, dehumanizing, apparently it is a religion has now become a popular cult-like practice[11] and acted similarly in regards to social distancing and quarantine.[12] Beyond more "normal" types of anti-COVID talking points Tenpenny also has pushed homegrown conspiracies theories like arguing that Quebec was making a blacksite for citizens who don't follow quarantine[13] or for political opponents.[14]
Due to things like this her access to Facebook was banned to reduce COVID misinformation[15] but even now she's one of 12 people responsible for 65% of COVID misinformation.[16]
In June 2021, Tenpenny was invited to the Ohio House of Representatives as an expert witness on COVID vaccinations. She claimed that the vaccinations turned people into human magnets, and that the vaccines turn people into an 'interface' with 5G.[17] Tenpenny falsely claimed during her testimony that 5000 people in the US had died from COVID vaccines, and implausibly stated she had spent 10,000 hours researching vaccines since the pandemic.[17] Some GOP representatives actually thanked her for spewing her bullshit.[17]
From her 2010 CV, one can observe other sorts of quackery that Tenpenny has been trained for or involved with:[3]
She has written some dubious publications, including two self-published books through her NMA Media Press[21]