Why isn't my blood good enough in Oz?

[Diane]

Chatting to my teenage daughter the other day and apparently as part of the new SACE regulations, if High School kids donate blood through the Red Cross then that counts towards their Public Service obligation - it is the equivalent of three hours spent doing voluntary work somewhere instead.

 

However, my daughter is one of just two pupils in her year group who can't do this - purely because she spent "more than 6 months in the UK between 1980 and 1996" - and therefore may have Mad Cow Disease!

 

Now, I'm all for ensuring blood supplies are as safe as possible, and I know there isn't as yet a test to detect CJD in blood, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the UK that had Mad Cow Disease - in fact I remember seeing pics on the news of the French burning huge mountains of cow carcasses, and pretty sure they had it in the US as well - in fact I reckon there wasn't anywhere in Europe that didn't have it, even if they didn't go quite as public as in the UK about it! What about Asia? Isn't the risk of HIV/AIDs in Africa just as bad if not worse?

 

So how comes the Australian Red Cross is singling out the UK? Do I assume no-one in the UK is donating blood to the UK Red Cross for the same reasons? All the questions on their (Red Cross UK) site seem to relate to sexual history, and the Australian Red Cross don't seem to worry about that half as much!

 

Why is our blood good enough to donate in the UK and not good enough to donate here? I feel this is bordering on racism - discriminating against someone on the basis of their place of birth! Particularly as my daughter was born in 1994 and therefore by the end of the qualifying period would have only been 15 months old (I don't think I was feeding her cheap meat pies at that age!)

 

Funnily enough, my son will be able to donate, as he was born in 1997! Anyone else feel it's not exactly fair?

[Guest Im Here]

I agree with you it doesn't make sense they cry out for blood each week and there are plenty of people who would gladly donate but are not aloud.

 

I would glady donate and i know the rest of my family would also but like you have pointed out it's a no no

[Guest The Pickles]

I used to donate regularly in the UK and was so surprised to find out I couldn't donate here. They must be losing out with so many of us living here...

[Rachiegarlo]

they don't like to take chances, that's why quarentine is so strict here and I can't buy my daughter Kusmi tea due to the strict regulations. Rules are rules and her nice Christmas tea with spices, almonds and orange had to be relinquished in customs because of the orange....citrus can't be brought in full stop doesn't matter, unless fumigation is forked out for.

 

Guess it's because the cases of the people who contracted KJD (mad cows disease) in the UK made the news globally and highlighted the dodgy feeding practices going on. However as KJD can lie dormant for decades in your system only those born after the dodgy feeding practices had been discontinued are allowed to donate blood here.

 

Go on Diane we know you are only after that free cuppa and a sticker

[Diane]

Guess it's because the cases of the people who contracted KJD (mad cows disease) in the UK made the news globally and highlighted the dodgy feeding practices going on. However as KJD can lie dormant for decades in your system only those born after the dodgy feeding practices had been discontinued are allowed to donate blood here.

 

I know it made the news globally, but my point is that (in the UK anyway) it also made the news that other countries were suffering from the same thing, and yet the UK is singled out!!

 

If they said "anyone that spent more than six months outside of Australia between 1980 and 1996" I could understand, but they're being very - stupidly - selective I think just picking one country out of the many!!!

 

 

 

And yes, I did used to enjoy the cuppa - tea always tastes so much nicer when someone else makes it for you!! When I had my eyes done recently, the cup of tea they brought me afterwards was the highlight for me - expensive cuppa though!!!

[Guest caoimhe]

Am I reading this right:goofy: any of us that lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 can not be blood donors?

[Guest marty]

Chatting to my teenage daughter the other day and apparently as part of the new SACE regulations, if High School kids donate blood through the Red Cross then that counts towards their Public Service obligation - it is the equivalent of three hours spent doing voluntary work somewhere instead.

 

However, my daughter is one of just two pupils in her year group who can't do this - purely because she spent "more than 6 months in the UK between 1980 and 1996" - and therefore may have Mad Cow Disease!

 

Now, I'm all for ensuring blood supplies are as safe as possible, and I know there isn't as yet a test to detect CJD in blood, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the UK that had Mad Cow Disease - in fact I remember seeing pics on the news of the French burning huge mountains of cow carcasses, and pretty sure they had it in the US as well - in fact I reckon there wasn't anywhere in Europe that didn't have it, even if they didn't go quite as public as in the UK about it! What about Asia? Isn't the risk of HIV/AIDs in Africa just as bad if not worse?

 

So how comes the Australian Red Cross is singling out the UK? Do I assume no-one in the UK is donating blood to the UK Red Cross for the same reasons? All the questions on their (Red Cross UK) site seem to relate to sexual history, and the Australian Red Cross don't seem to worry about that half as much!

 

Why is our blood good enough to donate in the UK and not good enough to donate here? I feel this is bordering on racism - discriminating against someone on the basis of their place of birth! Particularly as my daughter was born in 1994 and therefore by the end of the qualifying period would have only been 15 months old (I don't think I was feeding her cheap meat pies at that age!)

 

Funnily enough, my son will be able to donate, as he was born in 1997! Anyone else feel it's not exactly fair?

 

 

It's because we may carry the mad cow virus if we have eaten beef in the UK in those periods

[Guest panther]

Chatting to my teenage daughter the other day and apparently as part of the new SACE regulations, if High School kids donate blood through the Red Cross then that counts towards their Public Service obligation - it is the equivalent of three hours spent doing voluntary work somewhere instead.

 

However, my daughter is one of just two pupils in her year group who can't do this - purely because she spent "more than 6 months in the UK between 1980 and 1996" - and therefore may have Mad Cow Disease!

 

Now, I'm all for ensuring blood supplies are as safe as possible, and I know there isn't as yet a test to detect CJD in blood, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't just the UK that had Mad Cow Disease - in fact I remember seeing pics on the news of the French burning huge mountains of cow carcasses, and pretty sure they had it in the US as well - in fact I reckon there wasn't anywhere in Europe that didn't have it, even if they didn't go quite as public as in the UK about it! What about Asia? Isn't the risk of HIV/AIDs in Africa just as bad if not worse?

 

So how comes the Australian Red Cross is singling out the UK? Do I assume no-one in the UK is donating blood to the UK Red Cross for the same reasons? All the questions on their (Red Cross UK) site seem to relate to sexual history, and the Australian Red Cross don't seem to worry about that half as much!

 

Why is our blood good enough to donate in the UK and not good enough to donate here? I feel this is bordering on racism - discriminating against someone on the basis of their place of birth! Particularly as my daughter was born in 1994 and therefore by the end of the qualifying period would have only been 15 months old (I don't think I was feeding her cheap meat pies at that age!)

 

Funnily enough, my son will be able to donate, as he was born in 1997! Anyone else feel it's not exactly fair?[/quote

 

 

As i had lived in the UK during that period i am unable to give Blood and i accept that although all blood is screened, no one want to have the virus passed on to them .

I accept that and support that

Panther

[Guest Sharon and Paul]

Mad cow disease ! who's got mad cow disease us chickens must stick together . :biglaugh:

[Diane]

It's because we may carry the mad cow virus if we have eaten beef in the UK in those periods

 

Yes I do get that point, but my point is; why just the UK? I think if someone lived in France during that time they are just as likely to have it, and with no screening, it is just as much a risk!

[wizzywozza]

I was just about to donate my 50th pinta and earn my letter opener from the Red Cross when they changed the rules here and stopped taking it, BUT I am still on the bone marrow registry AND I have been called for that once about 10 years ago - I think the need outweighed the risk of CJD, but it turned out that I have CMV like most adults so couldn't donate my bone marrow at that time anyway. I'm still on the register!

 

While on discrimination ......... a separate issue which once again singles out the UK and us Expats ....... why does the SBS have dedicated news services from umpteen countries but not from the UK when we (the British Expats) are in fact the largest ethnic minority group in this country? I can watch French, German, Spanish, Polish, Rusian, Greek, Arabic, Filipino, Malaysian, Chinese news and more but nothing British. Where's the equality in that?

[ShaunWilson]

Not trying fire up anyone here, so before it all kicks off and people jump on their high horses, this is NOT directed at anyone in particular, and not related to the OP but about the comment on the news by SBS. Australia in a natural English speaking countr, and as suc, 99% of programming is in English, including the news. SBS put on Italian, Polish or any other regions news in the home language of that region for immigrants here who's first language is not English. And pretty sure if something major happened in Britain, then it would be covered on Australian news broadcast in English. This country is far from discriminatory, in fact due to the immigrant nature of the country, it can't afford to be, and is by far one of the most forward thinking countries in the world towards things like these. Yeah some rules suck, and some people don't agree with them, but thats the laws and rules of this great land, and if we want to live here, then we have to just accept them.

[Guest guest569]

I agree with you Diane as we too used to donate every six months from early teens.

But if thats the way it is ACCEPT IT !!!! Your in Oz and should accept their way !!!!

[Guest Guest75]

It does hurt.

 

I was a regular donor of O neg which is a much in demand type.

Both red and plasma.

 

Offered at Red Cross but nope- due to the above conditions.

 

Yet I can donate my organs on my driving licence!

 

It rankles when I hear the call on the radio.

[Guest Guest3980]

yeah I got refused blood donations because of BSE, least they`re consistant. Nothing wrong with me, definatley not. MOOOOOOOW