Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

News

Teenager who died after having HPV vaccine had a malignant chest tumour

BMJ 2009; 339 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.b4032 (Published 01 October 2009) Cite this as: BMJ 2009;339:b4032

Rapid Response:

Consent for disclosure of clinical information

Editor

This sad occurence prompts a question.

The girl's death, photo and much clinical information about her has
been freely distributed in the broadcast and published media. Likewise,
the possible intersex condition of Caster Semenya has had much coverage.

Where is the line drawn between and within the general and
professional press when it comes to divulging names, ages, some history
and clinical information without, as far as one can gather, any suggestion
of consent?

Were either of these events to have been published in a clinical
journal alone then informed consent for disclosure would have been
obtained and the fact documented.

There is a public interest dimension but how is the distinction
drawn, by whom and within what guidelines?

Yours sincerely

Steve Ford

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

24 October 2009
Steven Ford
retired GP
Haydon Bridge. NE47 6HJ