Wolla Bolla Bing Bong Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi all I am a regular blood donor here in the UK and will be completing my 27th donation next week. When I was completing my medicals on the 4th March I asked the doctor about giving blood in Australia since I am a regular in this country. He wasnt entirely sure about the situation but he said that someone mentioned to him that if you are from the UK, then you cannot give blood in Oz. And this is mainly due to this country having mad cow disease and they want to cut all risks of this being transferred over there!! :huh: Surely this is crazy talk as its quite clear that I am free from infections and should be healthy enough to provide blood over there. I am not bothered about receiving money for the donation as I am quite happy to donate for free. I donate to help where I can and I would be actually quite gutted that these rumours are true. :sad: Does anyone have any confirmation regarding this? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest16631 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 not sure what years but we can't as lived in uk in 1985 ................. left after that but there is a time frame................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi if you lived in the UK around the Mad cow outbreak or you have ever had a blood transfusuion you cannot give blood in Australia. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarvl Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi all I am a regular blood donor here in the UK and will be completing my 27th donation next week. When I was completing my medicals on the 4th March I asked the doctor about giving blood in Australia since I am a regular in this country. He wasnt entirely sure about the situation but he said that someone mentioned to him that if you are from the UK, then you cannot give blood in Oz. And this is mainly due to this country having mad cow disease and they want to cut all risks of this being transferred over there!! :huh: Surely this is crazy talk as its quite clear that I am free from infections and should be healthy enough to provide blood over there. I am not bothered about receiving money for the donation as I am quite happy to donate for free. I donate to help where I can and I would be actually quite gutted that these rumours are true. :sad: Does anyone have any confirmation regarding this? Cheers Sorry but I don't think you can... :no:http://www.donateblood.com.au/files/images/vCJD%20Fact%20Sheet_updated_June%202010.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi if you lived in the UK around the Mad cow outbreak or you have ever had a blood transfusuion you cannot give blood in Australia. Cal x I think that is about right Cal, I know a lot of rules and regs in place, BUT. Reference the Mad Cow :shocked::goofy: bit, does this mean that because I was married to one I can't give blood either,:biglaugh::biglaugh: Cheers Tony.:biglaugh::wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolla Bolla Bing Bong Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Sorry but I don't think you can... :no:http://www.donateblood.com.au/files/images/vCJD%20Fact%20Sheet_updated_June%202010.pdf Hi Thanks for the link. Well thats my blood donations over once if I head for Oz. :cry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brideycollette Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 :wideeyed:i always give blood here in the uk ....awww i wanted to carry on in oz . :embarrassed:do we have to wear bells around our necks too lol :tongue: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi Wolla. Sorry for being a bit glib before, :wubclub: thought it might make you smile a bit though. It is a great shame that you will not be able to carry on giving blood, a bloody worthwhile exercise, and frankly not enough people do it, great shame really. From a very personal point of view I have AB Negative blood, which is very rare apparently, (the Mad Cow I refereed to earlier always said I was 'special', not for any loving reasons though and this was normally followed by a plate of spaghetti being thrown at my head,:biglaugh:) and I also donate platelets as well because of my blood group, and when I FINALLY make it back to Australia I think that I will be in the same boat as you unfortunately. I realise the need for extreme caution in relation to a lot of things, (health issues) but it still is a shame that the Australian authorities maybe 'could' look a bit more at this situation is all. Cheers Tony.:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolla Bolla Bing Bong Posted March 23, 2011 Author Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi Wolla. Hi Tony, Your reply didnt make me smile mate, it made me laugh so dont worry about it. I take it your mrs doesnt use PIO then??? :biglaugh: Yeah its a shame that they dont allow us to give blood. We're good enough for the UK to take our blood but not the aussies. Seems like a kick in teeth from them really basically saying we aint good enough. Boooooooooo to the aussies I am still going pop along to the blood centre and give it a go. Worst thing can say is 'get lost you mad cow pom'. At least I would have tried. Cheers Tony, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spindrifter Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Bugger - that counts me out then! Australian Red Cross Blood Service | Do something special, GIVE BLOOD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalhousie Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 There are a number of countries where people living in the UK during the mid 80's are not allowed blood donations. I think this answer from a website explains it clearly. "The group of people you are talking about are allowed to give blood in the UK, but not in some other countries such as the US. In the UK we figure that people here have already been exposed to plenty of prions (the infectious agent that causes mad cow disease) during the 80s and 90s, so it's not that much of an extra risk for them to get a blood transfusion from another British person. But people in countries that didn't have much BSE, such as the USA, have not been exposed to the disease in the same way that British people have. Therefore if they have a blood transfusion from a British person, there is a miniscule but real risk that they could be exposed to prions for the first time. Places like the USA are not prepared to take that risk. As far as I'm aware, 3 people in the UK have caught mad cow disease (it's called vCJD in humans) from having blood transfusions from an infected person. The important thing is that the person who donated the blood was fine at the time they gave the blood - the blood and other tissues are infectious before the person gets ill. Diseases caused by prions can have very long incubation periods, i.e. it may be decades before someone shows any signs. And I think vCJD has occured in a vegetarian girl - prions are very infectious and you would only need sloppy food production in a factory somewhere to contaminate other foods." dalhousie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewebweazel Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Hi if you lived in the UK around the Mad cow outbreak or you have ever had a blood transfusuion you cannot give blood in Australia. Cal x Sorry Cal according to the OZ Red Cross "Blood transfusion - I have had a blood transfusion. Can I donate? If you have had a blood transfusion, the waiting period before you can give blood is 12 months. If you received only autologous blood (that is you donated prior to a procedure and were transfused with your own blood), then you are able to continue donating with a letter from your doctor verifying the only blood transfused was autologous blood." Sorry but I don't think you can... :no:http://www.donateblood.com.au/files/images/vCJD%20Fact%20Sheet_updated_June%202010.pdf Thanks for the link, Its really made my day. I was a regular donor in South Africa and when I moved to the UK I donated once and then I was told I could not donate any longer because I came from South Africa and have had a blood transfusion, but a donation from the Slapper down the road (that has a different partner every night just as long as she doesn't think they have HIV, Hepatitis or come from a dodgy part of the world - Like Africa) is OK. Oh yes I forgot you are not allowed to be paid for it, free sex is OK. LOL! So there might be a chance that I am ok in OZ we will have to do some further investigation ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 I too have been disappointed not to be able to give (rare I am told) blood, but as soon as they see I have lived in the UK during the 1980s I'm out sadly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewebweazel Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 From a very personal point of view I have AB Negative blood, which is very rare apparently, .:wink: What's the chances of of that, I've also got AB neg ...mmmm... somewhere around 0.16% I believe!:biglaugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest37336 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 What's the chances of of that, I've also got AB neg ...mmmm... somewhere around 0.16% I believe!:biglaugh: Hi Web. Maybe we should start the 'PIO Rare Blood Donor' forum, BUT. I only want mine going to Bone fisherman with a liking for Custard Tarts though,:biglaugh::idea::yes:. Cheers Tony.:wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olly Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Tony, yeah but, no but........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Many countries around the world ban British blood. Even the uk imports some blood products to avoid giving uk blood to young people who were born after the mad cow period. I read that they only use it for everyone else due to the fact that most already exposed and the prohibitive cost of importing it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moirclan Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 i havnt given blood in 29 years im not allowed to here as i may have been exposed to mad cow @#$%^i really feel if i had been exposed to it , i would have symptoms by now ??? i should proberly suggest my daughters donate as they are AB- and they are born here IT never crossed my mind as i dont think about the blood bank any more due to the situation, [ mind you they are both petrified of needles for some reason] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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