An informal poll of AHCJ members from across the country, as well as a review of press releases and news reports, reveals that there is a wide variation in what information local and state health officials are disclosing about H1N1 deaths.
In some places, health officials have held press conferences at which they released age, gender, city of residence and the place and time of death. In other places, officials have refused to reveal the age or gender of people who have died. Some states update tallies of deaths on their Web sites, others issue press releases, some release information only if asked and some remain silent even when asked.
“We understand the need for health officials to protect the privacy of those with H1N1,” says Felice J. Freyer, chair of AHCJ’s Right-to-Know Committee. “But, in some places, officials are withholding more information than necessary, perhaps because of a lack of clear guidelines about what should be revealed. This comes at a high cost; health officials lose the public’s trust when they hide information.”
AHCJ is preparing a guide for journalists who have difficulty getting basic information about deaths that are of public interest. The organization also hopes to work with public health officials on national level to encourage greater openness.
