Blood situation critical

A. Schembri

Jan 5th, 17:15

I notice that people like yourself always state such comments. Well here is your answer....
Any person who lived in certain parts of the world during certain times are unable to donate due to the risk of the human variant of Mad Cow Disease. The human variant is called variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (vCJD) which is also a fatal brain disease. Scientists believe that vCJD is Mad Cow Disease that has somehow transferred to humans, possibly through the food chain.

There is now evidence from a small number of case reports involving patients and laboratory animal studies that vCJD can be transmitted through transfusion. There is no test for vCJD in humans that could be used to screen blood donors and to protect the blood supply. This means that blood programs must take special precautions to keep vCJD out of the blood supply by avoiding collections from those who have been where this disease is found.

donor eligibility rules related to vCJD are as follows:

You are not eligible to donate if:

From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in the United Kingdom (UK), or
From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any country(ies) in the (UK). The UK includes any of the countries listed below.

Channel Islands, England, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland,
Scotland, Wales.

You were a member of the of the U.S. military, a civilian military employee, or a dependent of a member of the U.S. military who spent a total time of 6 months on or associated with a military base in any of the following areas during the specified time frames

From 1980 through 1990 – Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland), or Germany
From 1980 through 1996 – Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece.
You spent (visited or lived) a cumulative time of 5 years or more from January 1, 1980, to present, in any combination of country(ies) in Europe, including

in the UK from 1980 through 1996 as listed in above on or associated with military bases as described above, and in other countries in Europe as listed below:

Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia/Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland (Republic of), Italy
Kosovo (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macedonia
Montenegro (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Netherlands (Holland), Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), Slovak Republic (Slovakia), Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Yugoslavia (Federal Republic includes Kosovo, Montenegro, and Serbia).

Yaz Tabone

Jan 5th, 18:24

A. Schembri.. let me point it out that my mum lived in the uk for years.. and she has donated tons of times. her blood has been used and only recently she was not allowed to donate.

i refuse to donate until they sort this issue out..

Alfred Cassar

Jan 5th, 21:30

Ms Tabone: "i refuse to donate until they sort this issue out."

So you just refuse to donate, just for pique, well done very nice of you, and you let people die perhaps, because of your stupid pique.

What about if you need bloood, would ou refuse it just for pique too?