Getting to know Sherri Tenpenny – a guide

As most of you would be aware by now US anti-vaccinationist Sherri Tenpenny is heading Down Under to share her evangelical horror – with another anti-vaccinationist, Norma Erickson – at a series of seminars being run by Stephanie Messenger, the author of the despicable children’s book, Melanie’s Marvelous Measles. My original post contains the contact details of the venues we are urging community members to contact. Diluted Thinking also has a startling in-depth investigation of the individuals behind the anti-vaccine seminars.

I wanted to list the media where the story has now been taken up, as well as add a series of screenshots which give a clearer picture as to why there is so much opposition to these childhood infectious disease advocates.

The media, so far [list will remain live]:

 (1) Pro-vaccine lobby fight to stop US anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny lecturing in Australia – The Daily Telegraph.

– This woman is a danger to children, and she’s coming to Australia – Mamamia.

– Should this woman be allowed to preach her anti-vaccine warnings in Australia? Parents’ outrage over American doctor’s child health seminars – Daily Mail Australia.

– Uproar as US anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny announces trip to Australia – News.Com.Au.

– ‘Hugely successful’ US anti-vaccine activist plans Australian tour in March – The Guardian.

– Victorian Health Minister slams anti-vaccine movement (audio) – 3AW. Audio pertaining to Tenpenny starts at 6:15.

– Calls for government to deny visa to US anti-vaccine activist – SBS Online.

– Vaccine row about to boil over (video) – The Age.

Push to ban anti-vaccination campaigner from Aussie tour – Sunshine Coast Daily.

(10) No vaccine for Mandela-itis – Times Live.

– Controversial anti-vaccination campaigner to visit Australia (audio)- PM: ABC Radio

– Australia’s anti-vaccine movement in decline as membership drops off – The Guardian.

Ms Information (video) – The Project.

– Doctors want to bar anti-vaccination campaigner – The Age

– Calls to deny visa to American anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny to speak in Australia – PM: ABC Online.

– Why You Should Join The Campaign To Stop Anti-Vaxxer Sherri Tenpenny Coming To Australia – Junkee.

– Scandal in Australia : the inhabitants of the country are outraged at lectures about the dangers of vaccines (in Russian) – Health of Ukraine.

– Health Minister urges organisers to cancel event featuring anti-vaccination activist Sherry Tenpenny – Herald Sun.

– ‘Deny her a visa’ – Australian outrage over anti-vaccination activist’s speaking tour – World – NZ Herald News – The New Zealand Herald.

(20) Queensland Health’s response to anti-vaccination discussions – Queensland Health.

– 7:30 falls into vax wars – The Guardian: The Weekly Beast.

– Sherri Tenpenny: Who is the controversial anti-vaccination campaigner planning to visit Australia? – ABC Online.

– Sherri Tenpenny: Sydney venue cancels seminar of US anti-vaccination campaigner – ABC Online.

– A controversial American anti-vaccination campaigner may be prevented from entering Australia. (video) – SBS World News.

– Sydney venue cancels seminar of US anti-vaccination campaigner (video) – ABC News.

– Anti vaccination, anti women — who gets to speak in Australia? – Women’s Agenda.

– Two hotels needled by protesters bow to pressure to cancel anti-vac campaigner events – Smart Company.

– Sydney club refuses to host seminar by American osteopath who doesn’t believe in vaccinating children… after outraged parents complained about her ‘vile lies’ – The Daily Mail.

–  A shot in the arm for free speech – The Age.

(30)  Anti-vaccination extremist’s right to visit Australia is question facing govt – Sydney Morning Herald.

– Lives of our kids at risk until anti-jab myth dies – Daily Telegraph.

– Anti-vaxxers: so friendless that free speech is enough to defeat them – The Guardian.

– Sydney venue cancels seminar by US anti-vaccine activist Sherri Tenpenny – The Guardian.

– Sherri Tenpenny: US anti-vaccination campaigner’s Sydney and Melbourne shows cancelled – Sydney Morning Herald.

– Venues cancel events featuring US anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny – Sydney Morning Herald.

– Doctors protest anti-vax speaking tour – Medical Observer (log-in required).

– More venues cancel anti-vax seminars – The Daily Mail.

– Prof Peter McIntyre refutes Dr Tenpenny anti-vaccination beliefs – The Today Show.

Misinformation tour by anti-vaccination activist – The Today Show.

(40) The anti-vaccination advocate – The Today Show (print).

– Anti-vaccination campaigner compares critics to Charlie Hebdo attackers – The Guardian.

– Anti-vaccination views are misguided – but not illegal  – Sydney Morning Herald.

– Anti-vaccination advocate’s tour in tatters after most venues cancel – Daily Life.

– Health experts urge parents to vaccinate kids (video) – Sunrise.

– Anti-vaccination campaigner’s Aussie tour in ruins – Toowoomba Chronicle.

– Sherri Tenpenny’s anti-vaccination seminars flounder as venues pull out – Mamamia.

– Doctor: My newborn son was exposed to whooping cough – Mamamia.

– Should we be concerned about campaigns to ban speakers we don’t like? – Daily Life.

Stop Tenpenny Campaign on 7 News, 12th January 2015 (video) – Channel 7 News.

– (50) Gold Coast mum warns on vaccinations after little Bree almost killed by whooping cough – The Gold Coast Bulletin.

– ‘No jab, no play’: Victoria to become the second state to make vaccinations compulsory for children in day care – Daily Mail.

– Anti-vaccination seminar venues all pull out – but tour ‘will go ahead’ – The Guardian.

– Vaccinations To Be Compulsory For Children Attending Nursery In Two Australian States – Yahoo! Lifestyle UK.

– Anti-vaccination campaigner Sherri Tenpenny’s tour in jeopardy after every venue pulls out of hosting her seminars – The Age.

– Anti-vaccine campaigner Sherri Tenpenny cancels Australian talk – SBS News Online.

– Sherri Tenpenny tour in chaos (video) – The Today Show.

– The anti-vaxxers have come up with a sickening new scam – Mamamia.

– Anti-vaccine campaigner Sherri Tenpenny cancels tour amid ‘safety’ fears – SBS News Online.

– Anti-vaccination campaigner Dr Sherri Tenpenny cancels Australia tour amid security concerns – ABC News Online.

(60) Sherri Tenpenny’s anti-vaccination seminars flounder. Update – Mamamia.

– Anti-vaccine campaigner Dr Sherri Tenpenny cancels Australian talks over safety concerns – News.com.au.

– US anti-vaccination campaigner Dr Sherri Tenpenny cancels tour of Australia – The Age.

– Anti-vaccination ​campaigner Sherri Tenpenny cancels Australian tour – The Guardian.

– An Anti-Vaccination Campaigner Has Cancelled Her Tour Of Australia After Receiving Threats – Business Insider.

– Science 1, dangerous nonsense 0 – Sydney Morning Herald.

– Controversial US anti-vaccination campaigner cancels her Australian tour for the sake of her own personal safety – Daily Mail.

– Controversial anti-vaccine activist Dr Sherri Tenpenny ‘should be allowed in to Australia’ (audio and text) – 3AW Neil Mitchell.

– School threat a shot in the arm for pro-vaccine lobby – NT News.

The following screenshots feature Tenpenny in her own words [collection will remain live]:

Vaccines “cause more harm” than good:

Tenpenny 52 vaccines cause more harm than good website aboutTravel vaccines for children are not required for Cuba or the Dominican Republic:

Tenpenny 5 advising no vaccines for Cuba Dominican RepAsked what vaccines should be given to a baby, Tenpenny recommends , “none”:

Tenpenny 38 give no vaccines to babies January 2013Tenpenny recommends no Tetanus boosters:

Tenpenny 7 avoid Tetanus shotsTenpenny claims there is “no need for travel vaccines at all”:

Tenpenny 8 no need for travel vaccinesTenpenny supported baby killer Alan Yurko in a campaign which attempted to blame the horrific injuries suffered by a baby, whilst being beaten and shaken to death, as being those of a vaccine adverse reaction. She is not alone in this hideous campaign; you will also see the name of another DO, Joe Mercola, there. Meryl Dorey has previously joked about requiring a sound bite to give the Yurko campaign thrust; her husband Ken Dorey coming up with the abominable “shaken maybe syndrome“. From the Free Yurko site list of supporters:

Tenpenny 46 Free Yurko list Mercola

Tenpenny recommends against Hepatitis A and Tetanus vaccines for unvaccinated children traveling to Thailand:

Tenpenny 9 Thailand don't worry about vaccinesThis, from our friends at Dr Tenpenny – the Woo is not Enough:

Tenpenny 10 missed the whole third grade

Tenpenny claims that a survey of unvaccinated versus vaccinated children, using school attendance as a measure, could be done: until she is reminded of the above. This video is well worth a watch:

Tenpenny appeared on rabid conspiracy YouTube channel, Infowars – shared on the Sanevax anti-vaccine site run by Norma Erickson – under the title, Gardasil vaccine. Injection of Death!: Dr Sherri Tenpenny reports.

In the second video on that site, Tenpenny  calls childhood vaccination “torture”. She also equates it with abuse which would see social services called around, if it was done in the home. She does.

Tenpenny 11 Sanevax InfowarsWhat does Tenpenny say about Gardasil, the extremely effective and safe vaccine against HPV? “Just say no to Gardasil“. I’m convinced these people want more women dead:

Tenpenny 12 say no to gardasilTenpenny also refers to Gardasil immunisation as “carnage”:

Tenpenny 13 Gardasil carnageTenpenny also brags about wearing her “DNT VCN8” (don’t vaccinate) t-shirts around airports, whilst showing the hand to anyone who wants to grill her about it. Now that is sass, sister:

Tenpenny 15 don't vaccinate tshirt airportIt takes a special kind of person to cite Edmund Burke in defence of your evil intent.

I’ve saved this crackingly insane screenshot for last.

Vaccines cause mass murderers:

Tenpenny 14 vaccines mass murderersShe’s one of the best the global anti-vaccination movement has to offer.

Update January 6 2015

I wanted to add this extra screenshot I’ve procured from Peter Bowditch’s site. This is a comment Tenpenny made in 2012, along the lines of the one above. In it she blames the massacre of innocent schoolchildren at Sandy Hook Elementary School on vaccines. There are times I wished there was such as a thing as hell. People like Tenpenny belong there:

Tenpenny 17 Sandy Hook killer vaccine damagedAnd because I’m not certain what Tenpenny really thinks about vaccines, I thought I better add this. Just so we’re clear:

Vaccines and drugs are a war on the Human Constitution. It is a Dark Superstition that should never be part of the 21st century. It’s Black Magic to think that injecting foreign matter, dead pathogen, animal DNA can give any benefit. Ever.

Tenpenny 18 war on human cnstituion black magicTenpenny, the expert, had also not heard of norovirus:

Tenpenny 19 had not heard of norovirusIn May 2013 Tenpenny also put out a call to her cult acolytes. Tenpenny makes her dangerous, despicable desires crystal clear:

How do we convince parents to be more fearful of a vaccine…?

Tenpenny 34 May 12 2013 how to make parents fear vaccinesAnd for evidence that Tenpenny relies upon and provokes the vilification of health care professionals – “vilification” interestingly being one of the exclusion criteria of the visa character assessment – one need only look at the thread of Tenpenny’s Facebook post linked above. Tenpenny goes after Dr Paul Offit in the original post. The cult acolytes respond in rote:

Tenpenny 36 Paul Offit provocation of violenceIf all of that wasn’t bad enough – and it really was – Tenpenny posted this on her Facebook page:

Very good article by Bill Sardi

Tenpenny 42 I will never vaccinate my child articleHmm. I will never vaccinate my child. That’s not overly surprising to us, knowing Tenpenny as we do. But, there’s a nasty little twist in this one:

we have chosen not to vaccinate our child but rather let him get exposed to the various pathogens naturally (chicken pox, pertussis- whooping cough, polio, measles, etc.)

Tenpenny 43 I will never vaccinate my child polio measlesThat’s right. Sherri Tenpenny recommends an article which advocates exposing unimmunised children to Polio, Measles, Whooping cough, and Chicken Pox. I’m still attempting to figure out in my inside voice why there are no child protection officers beating down the door. I’ve got nothing.

And where would any deranged, rabid anti-vaccinationist be without pincushion baby, decorated with the skull and crossbones, and the “POISON” tag? This is from Tenpenny’s website which she claims to be a repository of reputable anti-vaccine evidence. It’s an anti-vaccine repository; that’s about it:

Tenpenny 44 website pincushion baby poison skull crossbones

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31 Responses to Getting to know Sherri Tenpenny – a guide

  1. RScott says:

    I love how she says you don’t need a booster for tetanus because studies have shown that antibodies can last 50 years, yet doesn’t think that vaccines work!

    • Sue says:

      Yes – I wondered about that, considering she allegedly ran an Emergency Dept years ago, when she used to practice actual medicine. I wonder what went wrong?

      As others have said, the degree “DO” in the US can lead to an orthodox medical career – much depends on what post-graduate training is taken. This is very different to the Australian-trained osteopath, who is not trained to the standard of a medical doctor. WHile DOs in the US do tend to be more woo-prone than the average MD, many are in mainstream medical practice.

      Tenpenny seems to have abandoned medical practice for her woo clinic – who knows what her motivation or possible pathology might be.

      • wzrd1 says:

        Actually, in my own experience with US D.O. types, they’ve moved well away from the practice of woo.
        I haven’t found a bonecracker about for 30 years (as in, the last time I did find one was 30 years ago).

        • Carolyn says:

          Just goes to show that if you are trained in actual medicine, you have no use for that woo nonsense, unless you are inclined to chase the snake oil dollars.

      • I have tried to find any reference to her having any mainstream medical qualifications to support the claim that she ran an ED. I have not been able to find them anywhere. Not even on her own website does she say that she has these qualifications. so where is this story coming from? I heard Derpy make the claim in the Melbourne radio interview, where she also likened vaccinationists to Nazis.

  2. Sue says:

    It’s even worse – Tenpenny provides the discredited homeopathic ”vaccination” via a registered pediatrician, injected mannitol for pain, breast thermography – so many discredited, sham therapies. How is she still registered in Ohio, one wonders?
    http://myemail.constantcontact.com/TIMC-Nov-Newsletter—open-today–.html?soid=1101364019044&aid=aqdMqUaSLig

  3. Aline Horrocks says:

    She is insane!

    I wonder what made her so angry that she would want to inflict terrible harm to children?

    She obviously gets perverse enjoyment with provoking conflict (e.g. the t-shirt) just so she can get her rocks off spewing abuse at strangers.

  4. Aline Horrocks says:

    I also have to wonder about the people that ask her advice. If they have unvaccinated children, then they are probably of the same mindset as her: so to ask if it is OK to take children into areas where it would be prudent to have them vaccinated smells of parents easing their own guilty minds and offloading responsibility for any incidents that lead to the child getting sick.

    • John says:

      Great observation, Aline!

    • Yes, hadn’t thought of that one, the old ‘but I asked a professional Dr, and was advised it would be ok’ line. I don’t think they realise that won’t be much comfort when they are pulling all nighters at their child’s hospital bedside.

    • Carolyn says:

      True. But if you take the advice of this quack, knowing that 99.9% of medical professionals would tell you the opposite, you are kidding yourself that you are absolved of responsibility. That will probably become evident when your child suffers.

  5. Lyn says:

    As the family historian, I have seen quite a few death certificates of children who died in infancy, one little girl died of measles before she was two. Nothing “marvellous’ about measles at all. Due to vaccination my brothers who had the measles, have reached their sixties and are grandfathers. Wanting children to suffer, when there is no need to, risking the lives of others people children by not vaccinating your own or quarantining them when sick, is criminal.

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  8. ianjs says:

    I heard the item on PM on Radio National and was rather disappointed in the attempt to “balance” the discussion.

    Looking back at the transcript it actually appears to address the rants fairly well, but I fear that an uninformed listener will remember the paranoia filled claims of Tenpenny and Messenger rather than the relatively sober discussion by the actual experts.

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  18. psychtld says:

    To have to call her ‘Dr.’ is bad enough: her degree is sadly a legitimate doctorate. What distresses me is that to call her a turd would be insulting to shit.

    We have nothing derogatory that we can call her for fear of insulting the things we compare people to when we want to speak deridingly of them.

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