Texas hospital suspends doctor for spreading 'dangerous' COVID-19 misinformation

A Houston hospital has suspended a doctor for sharing misinformation about COVID-19 on social media and refusing to treat patients who are vaccinated against the virus.

The physician, Dr. Mary Bowden, was recently hired by Houston Methodist Hospital, a spokesperson for the facility told CBS News, and her personal and political opinions about COVID-19, the vaccine, and use of drugs that have not been found to treat or prevent the virus are "harmful to the community [and] do not reflect reliable medical evidence or the values of Houston Methodist."

Bowden is an ear, nose, and throat doctor, and CBS News reports she posted earlier this month that while she is not against vaccines, she is "shifting my practice focus to treating the unvaccinated." The Houston Methodist spokesperson said Bowden has been emailing patients to say she won't treat anyone who has received the vaccine.

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"Despite what she has posted, Houston Methodist does not want and will never deny care to a patient based on vaccination status," the spokesperson said. "Dr. Bowden, who has never admitted a patient at Houston Methodist Hospital, is spreading dangerous misinformation which is not based in science."

Bowden told CBS News she doesn't "consider herself dangerous." She sent Houston Methodist a resignation letter on Monday morning, she added, and is "overwhelmed by the positive support I've received from my patients and from people around the world thanking me for standing up for my beliefs."