I wanted to donate blood at the local American Red Cross blood drive but because I'm British I'm not allowed to give it because at this time, the American Red Cross donor eligibility rules related to vCJD (Mad Cow disease) are as follows:

You are not eligible to donate if, since 1980, you :

Spent a total time of 3 months or more in any of these countries:
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Channel Islands, or

Spent a total time of 6 months or more in any combination of these countries:
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azores, Belarus, Belgium, Boznia/Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Falkland Islands, Faroe Island, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Republic of), Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madeira Islands, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Netherlands (Holland), Northern Ireland, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Scotland, Slovak Republic (Slovakia), Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vatican City, Wales, Yugoslavia (includes Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia)

Received insulin derived from cattle (bovine) from any of the countries listed above

Received a blood transfusion in any of these countries:
England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Channel Islands

Seems like a lot of people are not eligible. Wonder if they will ever change their rules!

When my daughter was born we wanted to do the cord blood donation (for stem cells) we were also told we could not donate because I came from the UK... I asked why they didn't screen for VJD... they said it was too expensive... well I least I can be guilt free for not donating blood.

Ash

Presumably a new rule since 2001 - I donated in 1998 and 1999 no problems.....

I think it is, since CJD reared it's ugly head in Europe.

Must be... my daughter was born in Dec (2003) I called to arrange the donation in the Nov before she was born and they refused it because of the CJD.

Ash

I had the same problem, the nurse was really very nice when she told me that I couldn't donate because of the small chance that I was a total nutter.

She said, "we already have enough mad people in the US thanks"

They should be grateful we throw in the added extra's for free

ash

Please note, you can give blood & die defending the US against their former terrorist allies, but cannot give blood to save an ordinary US citizen injured in a car accident.

And they say the US has no sense of irony eh ?

Nahh,
what really is happening is that Bush and the vast right wing conspiracy have been told that if a good red-blooded American (conservative) gets any French, German, and to a lesser extent British/other Euro-scocialist blood transfused into us, we may start to have left wing tendencies. So, to preclude that we are banning Euroblood. It has nothing at all to do with mad cows, crazy chickens, or peculiar pigs.

Also the American Red cross cuts a fat hog on blood sales from volunteers and doesn't need any competition from y'all.