Machiavelli

These are the top 3 google results, 1st BBC from 2001, 2nd BBC from 2004, and 3rd appears to be current Victorian Health information.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/1671737.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3524329.stm

http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas/diseases/cjd_facts

moneypenny20

I wasn't allowed to give blood in the UK because I'd had a blood transfusion when I had my first child. Nothing to do with nationality. Hope you've all got your organ donation cards though.

GinaUK

These figures show the number of suspect cases referred to the CJD surveillance unit in Edinburgh, and the number of deaths of definite and probable cases in the UK, up to 6th October 2008:

www.cjd.ed.ac.uk/figures.htm

Gina

manc1

I went to give blood a few years ago and was refused because I had been in England on holiday when they had a mad cow outbreak. Talking about mad cow, I'd better get the dinner on she'll be home soon.

annqldau

Hence if like gives to like it's fine as I'd still be just as happy to receive blood from an English person as an Aussie as that's what I would have got anyway in the UK.

It's a bit of a waste of time putting the 'we need blood' shout out if you then turn away a high proportion of blood that can be used due to paranoia.

moneypenny20

Not sure paranoia is the right word, but I'd go along with the rest of it. I used to give blood, then had the daughter and the blood transfusion and suddenly I wasn't allowed anymore. Does that mean they think the hospital gave me dodgy blood? Now I could be paranoid but.......

annqldau

Nice to see you back my dear, hope you are behaving yourself.

The spike in figures can also be attributed to an increase in awareness of the need to report and awareness of the disease.

Would be interesting if they said how many of those deaths were due to transfusion as UK still mainly using UK blood.

annqldau

If they weren't paranoid we could all sign a get out of jail clause for the Health system and take the risk of having UK grown blood all passport approved.

If you went to UK on a visit and were bleeding to death after getting knocked down are you going to say 'sorry mate' (in an increasingly weak voice) i'm not having that blood I want some flown in special from Aus.

Think they'd laugh their socks off.

moneypenny20

The blood they have has probably been flown in from France or Poland anyway I was happy enough (well I wasn't, I wasn't conscious, but hubby was) to have several units of blood in 1992. Nothing's changed imo.

MartinLuther

Seeing as the UK imports plasma from the US because of the BSE/CJD thing then I suspect they would import blood from the US rather than Aus.

The O'Neills

I actually do think that I've got Mad Cow disease. Well my hubby's always calling me a silly cow so . . . . . . . moo

N

framac67

I had a total blood transfusion when I was in my coma and they gave me Aussie blood but I still aint gonny say the word awesome. Before you smart arses say you've used it in the sentence, I said SAY not write

annqldau

So you are more Aussie than those with citizenship... do you now say G'Day and Dinky Di?

I think historically the Aussies were infected with the word awesome from NZ...

Marmalade

Okay, I'm not in Australia, but I can't give blood either ~ I'm in the US (originally from Scotland, moved in 1987). This is what the American Red Cross states:



Excerpt from the American Red Cross - Blood Donation Eligibility Guidelines

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

MartinLuther

The reality is that there is a risk.

The UK blood service doesn't take this blood because they think it's safe (they do not). They take it because they have little other choice.

Other countries don't have to take it because the loss of supply is minimal. You can't blame other countries for doing this. If you need someone to blame then the (now defunct) department of food and agriculture is where you should start.