British Expats

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-   -   Giving Blood (https://britishexpats.com/forum/new-zealand-83/giving-blood-927192/)

Soupnswings Aug 13th 2019 12:03 pm

Giving Blood
 
I have just seen that there is a lack of donors in NZ in the news, so I thought that I would google my nearest centre only to read that if you lived in the UK, France or the Republic of Ireland between 1st January 1980 and 31st December 1996 for a total period of 6 months or more (or received a blood transfusion in these countries at any time after 1/1/80) you will be permanently deferred from donating blood in NZ due to the risk of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)
Learn something new everyday. Fair do’s or whatever I mean it’s better to edge on the side of caution I guess but I’m a bit sad I can’t help out, I always did in England and I’m O- too.
That is all x

Lorna at Vicenza Aug 13th 2019 2:21 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 
It's the same story here in Italy. They don't want our blood or our organs. I was even told by a head honcho in the hospital that if one of my kids ever needs something like a kidney, they'd look elsewhere before giving them one of mine.


Novocastrian Aug 13th 2019 2:57 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by Lorna at Vicenza (Post 12722562)
It's the same story here in Italy. They don't want our blood or our organs. I was even told by a head honcho in the hospital that if one of my kids ever needs something like a kidney, they'd look elsewhere before giving them one of mine.

Just the same in Canada too.

BEVS Aug 13th 2019 9:32 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by Soupnswings (Post 12722513)
I have just seen that there is a lack of donors in NZ in the news, so I thought that I would google my nearest centre only to read that if you lived in the UK, France or the Republic of Ireland between 1st January 1980 and 31st December 1996 for a total period of 6 months or more (or received a blood transfusion in these countries at any time after 1/1/80) you will be permanently deferred from donating blood in NZ due to the risk of Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)
Learn something new everyday. Fair do’s or whatever I mean it’s better to edge on the side of caution I guess but I’m a bit sad I can’t help out, I always did in England and I’m O- too.
That is all x

Aye. That is the way of it.

Husband is an A neg too but no can do.

Jerseygirl Aug 13th 2019 10:51 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 
Same in the US.

Mishclark Aug 13th 2019 11:18 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 
It's the same in Australia as well, where I'm originally from. I was in the Uk in 1993 and 1994 so I'm out, found out years ago.

Soupnswings Aug 14th 2019 2:30 am

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by Lorna at Vicenza (Post 12722562)
It's the same story here in Italy. They don't want our blood or our organs. I was even told by a head honcho in the hospital that if one of my kids ever needs something like a kidney, they'd look elsewhere before giving them one of mine.

Wow that’s crackers!

scot47 Aug 14th 2019 4:42 am

Re: Giving Blood
 
Maybe they knbow something that is being concealed from us ?

spouse of scouse Aug 14th 2019 5:29 am

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by scot47 (Post 12722812)
Maybe they knbow something that is being concealed from us ?

The reason for not accepting blood donations from people who lived in the UK for six months or more between 1980 - 1996 is far from concealed, it's been in the public domain for decades, it's provided by blood donor services and is also available with the most cursory Google.

https://www.donateblood.com.au/faq/vcjd
This is related to the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD, the human form of the bovine condition sometimes known as ‘mad cow disease’):
  • Although the number of cases of vCJD in UK is declining, we still don’t know the full extent of the exposure during this period.
  • There is currently no blood test available for vCJD suitable for screening blood donors.
  • vCJD can incubate in someone for decades before they start to show symptoms.
  • This brain disease is incurable and usually fatal.

cym Aug 14th 2019 6:14 am

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse (Post 12722819)
The reason for not accepting blood donations from people who lived in the UK for six months or more between 1980 - 1996 is far from concealed, it's been in the public domain for decades, it's provided by blood donor services and is also available with the most cursory Google.

https://www.donateblood.com.au/faq/vcjd
This is related to the fatal variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD, the human form of the bovine condition sometimes known as ‘mad cow disease’):
  • Although the number of cases of vCJD in UK is declining, we still don’t know the full extent of the exposure during this period.
  • There is currently no blood test available for vCJD suitable for screening blood donors.
  • vCJD can incubate in someone for decades before they start to show symptoms.
  • This brain disease is incurable and usually fatal.

This is interesting as I used to donate blood back home twice if not three times a year ever since I was 18 and I asked back then why can't you screen for vCJD. I was told that there wasn't a screen test as such - but there was a indicator that was used on ALL donated blood that if it 'indicated' (?) meant that the blood was destroyed. However the amount they had to take to use the indicator was quite a bit.
I can't remember the figures now but I do remember the nurse telling me a lot of blood collected was lost on these tests.
That might be the reason why no-one else does it; A because they don't have to and B because they haven't enough to spare.
I'm sure the blood service in the UK doesn't want to give vCJD to anyone either so I can't see them collecting blood and hoping for the best!

spouse of scouse Aug 14th 2019 1:44 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by cym (Post 12722829)
This is interesting as I used to donate blood back home twice if not three times a year ever since I was 18 and I asked back then why can't you screen for vCJD. I was told that there wasn't a screen test as such - but there was a indicator that was used on ALL donated blood that if it 'indicated' (?) meant that the blood was destroyed. However the amount they had to take to use the indicator was quite a bit.
I can't remember the figures now but I do remember the nurse telling me a lot of blood collected was lost on these tests.
That might be the reason why no-one else does it; A because they don't have to and B because they haven't enough to spare.
I'm sure the blood service in the UK doesn't want to give vCJD to anyone either so I can't see them collecting blood and hoping for the best!

My Brit husband is the same, can donate in the UK but can't donate in Australia.

The UK does all it can to screen donors but it acknowledges that it isn't possible to guarantee that red cells, platelet and clinical plasma, and peripheral tissue (bone, skin, tendon, heart valves and cells), all of which are primarily donated by UK donors, are free from the risk of vCJD transmission. It's simply a matter of supply and demand, if people living in the UK weren't allowed to donate then that would lead to a critical shortage of blood/blood products.
This position paper explains in detail file:///C:/Users/Beth/Downloads/Posi...2015%20(3).pdf

Rete Aug 14th 2019 1:59 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl (Post 12722751)
Same in the US.

In addition in the US, if you have had cancer you cannot give blood or donate organs.

Reylan Aug 14th 2019 11:26 pm

Re: Giving Blood
 
I've just read this article which I thought may be of interest as I had always wondered how they got round not be able to test for vCJD in the UK but still accept donations.

The UK imports plasma to treat people born after 1 January 1996 as part of measures that were brought in to prevent the spread of CJD - a disease caused by consuming meat infected with BSE or "mad cow disease".
It was considered that people born after that time would not have been exposed to the disease through the food supply chain and so extra precautions should be taken to prevent them being exposed through blood products.
Those born before that time who require plasma will be treated with UK donations.
Now, blood components are only imported from countries which have equivalent safety regulations and a lower risk of its donor population carrying CJD than the UK population.
The NHS Blood and Transplant Service in England says: "Plasma from Austria and Poland is collected from voluntary non-remunerated donors who are subject to the donor selection criteria in EU law. These are the same guidelines as NHSBT."

Clappy Aug 16th 2019 6:43 am

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by Soupnswings (Post 12722793)

Wow that’s crackers!

So might you be one day - that's what they are worried about!

Lorna at Vicenza Aug 16th 2019 8:42 am

Re: Giving Blood
 
There was a documentary on BBC2 about a month ago called, "The Great British Beef Scandal."
It showed original footage of mad cows but also of people who contracted the human form after politicians had spent years telling the British population how safe beef was because a human form didn't and could not exist.
If you think you can stomach it (no pun intended) it was both very interesting and shocking to watch now as an adult.




Soupnswings Aug 16th 2019 10:50 am

Re: Giving Blood
 

Originally Posted by Clappy (Post 12723556)
So might you be one day - that's what they are worried about!

Haha

Charismatic Aug 18th 2019 4:20 am

Re: Giving Blood
 
That organ thingy is interesting, don't give blood as I lived in the UK but I am an organ donor on my drivers license and was never asked about my background.


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