The 2 of November the Danish Council of Ethics released a new report on genetic analyses, supplemented with the Council’s recommendations. One of the recommendations is that people seeking genetic tests should be offered a ‘genetic counselor’ who can advise them about the ethical dilemmas they might face after taking a test. Today there is no legal obligation in Danish law to offer counseling before or after a test. The report and recommendations can be found on the Council’s website.
In October this year, the Ethics Council of U.S. (Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues) released a report on whole genome sequencing called ‘Privacy and progress in whole genome sequencing’. In the report the Commission recommends that a process should be developed to ensure a consistent floor of protections covering whole genome sequence data regardless of how they were obtained. These policies should protect individual privacy by prohibiting unauthorized whole genome sequencing without the consent of the individual from whom the sample came.