British blood not good enough for America

[Lyndhurst 14]

The office I work at was having a blood donor drive because of a shortage of blood in New York. I found out from the American Red Cross donor guidelines that any Brit who lived in the UK between 1980 and 1996 for a period of 3 months is not eligible because of ‘Mad Cow disease’

http://www.redcross.org/en/eligibility#vcjd2

“At this time, the American Red Cross donor eligibility rules related to vCJD are as follows:

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”

I was not aware of this and was pretty shocked as this probably rules out the majority of Brits who live in the US. I’m generally a supporter of most things American but this is complete bollocks - no wonder they’ve got a shortage. I’d be interested to find out if other countries have similar guidelines.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

Good enough for them whenever they want to pick a fight in a middle east country though!

 

[Lord Cornwallis]

Had the same thing happen to me after 9-11. My American wife often donates blood, but they wouldn't take mine.
They still also have a ban on British meat products in relation to mad cow, including Bovril, Ox tail soup and............Pork sausages.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I would guess they must have done some kind of risk analysis and decided the chances of a contaminated blood product (with the inevitable lawsuits) outweigh the benefits - still seems like flawed logic to me. I’d imagine in an emergency, given the choice, an American would take the risk if the only blood on offer was British.

 

[Juan Albion]

This was also the case in Canada for quite a while but I seem to remember it being lifted. I might be wrong, though.

 

[manilaseagull]

Stuff em!!!!!!! our blood is to pure and royal for them Yanks

 

[Gwylan]

I was once accosted outside a blood donor centre in Boston and when I said that I gave in London, the woman who was soliciting donors started screaming "We don't want your blood anyway. Mad cow" and followed me for a few steps repeating the words "Mad cow, mad cow". Very appropriate I thought.

 

[GNF on Tour]

Same thing in New Zealand, all down to Mad Cow Disease. Not that I'd give my blood to any of the feckers anyway.

 

[rcf0712]

same in Oz, they have systematically refused my blood for 15 years now beacuse I was livving in the UK during the mad cow years (tha'ts not Thatcher but the disease outbreak)...
A few years back there was even a suggestion in WA (where there's a shitload of expat Brits) when they had a sever bloob d bank shortage that they set up a separate blood bank for us as we shouldn't get the "clean" Aussie blood but be restricted to our own taintend strain!!

 

[itszamora]

I was once accosted outside a blood donor centre in Boston and when I said that I gave in London, the woman who was soliciting donors started screaming "We don't want your blood anyway. Mad cow" and followed me for a few steps repeating the words "Mad cow, mad cow". Very appropriate I thought.

And they wonder why the rest of the world dislikes them!

 

[bhaexpress]

Amazing, far too many Americans suffer from Stupid Twat Disease. Given that HIV is so common there a bit of Mad Cow is nothing.

 

[Fixtures]

You lot are SO ignorant! I thought everyone knew how this ban came about.

The yanks noticed that a Brit had married one of their nastiest women and were so shocked that anyone would want her that they immediately declared the ban because "you'd have to be MAD to marry that COW" and they didn't want any mad blood getting into their system. Even though the Brit then dumped the woman and married a mail-order bride from the far east instead, the damage had been done and they couldn't be arsed to change the policy.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

To be fair to the Septics, British blood is not good enough for us in some cases.

All FFP (fresh frozen plasma, the stuff that makes your blood clot if you're bleeding) for paediatric use (under 16's) comes from non-UK scources.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

To be fair to the Septics, British blood is not good enough for us in some cases.

All FFP (fresh frozen plasma, the stuff that makes your blood clot if you're bleeding) for paediatric use (under 16's) comes from non-UK scources.

FFS if they want the stuff that clots, they only have to ask. Ive had three bloody DVT's in the last few years, I think i could spare about 7 pints worth

 

[Acker79]

We're not exactly welcoming either. If you visit america between may and september (I think) you can be disallowed. If you've slept with a woman who's slept with a man who might have slept with another man you're not allowed. If you've accepted sex as payment you can't donate. etc.

 

[ATFC Seagull]

Similar rules in Ireland, except its anyone who LIVED in Britain during that time. Which is pretty much everyone.

 

[User removed 4]

FFS if they want the stuff that clots, they only have to ask. Ive had three bloody DVT's in the last few years, I think i could spare about 7 pints worth

ive had one as well, did you get yours after a flight ?

 

[Frutos]

My British blood isn't good enough to be taken in this country, far less any other.

 

[readingstockport]

So they sent us blood which slaughtered hundreds of haemophiliacs by infecting them with aids and hepatitis but won't take ours?

Figures, the yanks have always been two faced wankers.

 

[Ecosse Exile]

ive had one as well, did you get yours after a flight ?

No mate, i ruptured two discs in my back which left me pretty immobile, then drove from Glasgow to Brighton and then the next day back up to Stoke for football. By the time i got to the Brittania my leg was about twice the size it should have been.
Im also Drive Lorrys for a living, which again due to sitting on my arse for long periods led to the other two.
Im sure you've been told Bushy, once you've had one its much easier to have another, so keep yourself active mate.