JayDeee

I'm a regular blood doner in the UK, So have been looking into carrying on in Australia. Basically if you lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 you cannot give blood in Australia

See below, (sorry about the copy and paste)


http://www.giveblood.redcross.org.au...=8&ParentID=-1

Kala

Pollyana

A friend of mine who works in Hobart went back to the UK for 6 months in 1981; he has been told he can't give blood even now! he hasn't been near the UK since, but its the 6 month bit that counts apparently.

JayDeee

Sorry yep the web site says 1980 to 1996, i'll chage the original post now

Kala

jana1

I gave blood when I lived there in 1994 / 95 - must have been okay then - I still have my blood doner card - guess I can throw it away then!!

markeh

Hiya kala,

I've heard of this in the USA as well.

I'm afraid it's all down to that dodgey beef and the fact that they don't know if we are all going to get it. moo moo mooooo!

The woryying fact is that if we all had it and were going to pop our clogs en mass would they tell us

Bye
Mark

steandleigh

can't they just test the blood for cjd?

I'm a donor and its sad not to be able to continue, especially when there are so many transfusions needed everyday.

markeh

Hiya steandleigh,

there was talk of one, but it mysteriously disappeared never to be heard of again.

Who knows.

Bye
Mark

HiddenPaw

Do they test blood for CJD in the UK? I just had 6 units transfused......:scared:

JayDeee

The new rule in the Uk is that anyone who has recieved a blood transfussion since 1980 can no longer donate. Also those wth a close family member (brother sister, child) who has been diagnosed with CJD canot donate

see link

http://www.blood.co.uk/press_release...%20release.doc

It is a shame as many people who have recieved or know people who have recieved are more likely to give blood but I supose it is better to be safe than sorry. I personally think that the Australian rule is a bit OTT considering only 146 peopel have ever been diagnosed.

So those of you who can get out there and donate, you never know when you might need some

Thanks
Kala

mary1

I saw a documentary on it and I don't think they can test for CJD in a blood test because it "hides" in the brain so you would need to have a brain biopsy to test for it.

Shame really beacause they are always complaining they don't have enough blood supplies here in Oz.The Red Cross are probably being overcautious because of litigation down the track.

JAJ

One would think tens of thousands of people had this so-called CJD disease, not less than one hundred in a population of 60 million!

Talk about an over-reaction.

I suspect if the Australian Red Cross were ever *really* desperate for blood (such as in a national emergency) they wouldn't worry too much about whether you'd lived in the UK or not between x and y years.

Until then, people who've lived in the UK can avoid the needle with a clear conscience

Jeremy

Ceri

yes it's true.. they've bloody cheek if you ask me

Anyway it's their loss.. I have nice clean blood .. I don't eat meat, and haven't for years, gave it up when I was around 14 or 15 yrs old ....so it's nice and clean.

good thing though I can donate my blood to hubby if he ever needs it ( we have the same blood group)... so he dosen't need any of their tainted Aussie blood either. .lol

cheers

stefian

I am really sad about not being able to give blood. I have been doing so since my dad was dying of cancer and needed many transfusions, it's been my way of paying it back, so it's a very personal thing for me.

Steph

JAJ

As I've said, your conscience should be clear as you're willing to give, but they're not willing to accept.

If they were *really* short they wouldn't have this ridiculous rule (or at least they ought not to in that case ... ), so you can reassure yourself on this score.

Jeremy

jad n rich

Brits can donate their organs tho, Australia is desperate for organ donors it has a very low rate of donorship, so much so there is a campaign to encourage it.