You cannot donate blood if...

[Cameron-by-the-Sea]

Today I planned on donating blood at our annual school blood drive. While completing the survey, I answered yes to the question asking if I had traveled out of the country within the past year. To my surprise, countries that we visited on our exotic western Caribbean cruise are considered at-risk for malaria. Because we had visited Belize, Roatan, and Cozumel I was unable to give blood, and I will be unable to donate again until a year has passed from when we visited those countries. Is this news to you all?

I was surprised that these countries are designated as "at-risk" for malaria by the CDC, yet as a cruise passenger I was completely unaware of this status. Maybe I have been missing something, but it seems that passengers should be informed of the potential for contacting diseases. If this is important to the Red Cross, should it not be important to us?

[psw]

There have been other threads on this, this one is fairly informative if anyone is interested
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=64107

[Slinkiecat]

I have been a blood donor for a long time and always have known that some countries are on the list as unacceptable for donors to have visited recently. England is one of those.

Also, recent vaccinations will disqualify a donor temporarily.

Slinkie

[v702]

I believe having travelled outside the US for a total of three months or more will get you deferred as well.

[Ziggy7]

As a regualr blood donor I was aware of this for the past 7 or so years. It's on the questionaire you fill out each time you donate. Kinda sad too cause I have o pos blood which is needed very much.

[allen.crawford]

I am approaching 250 total donations, with over half of them being platelet donations (which I donate every 2nd week). We are scheduled to go to Dominica in March. As long as we stay in the port city, I will be able to continue to donate. If I take the rain forest excursion, I will be "deferred" for a year.

I wish I didn't have to face this moral dilemma. I suspect I will skip the excursion in favour of saving a few more lives.

Before we vacation, I always check with Canadian Blood Services to see where it is "safe" to travel - at least from their perspective!

[jhannah]

When I attempted to give after our February cruise, I was told I couldn't donate for a year because I went to Tulum. Had I stayed in Cozumel, according to the person questioning me, then it would have been fine. It was the Yucatan that was at risk for malaria at the time. Yes, too bad. That one would have make 13 gallons for me.

[psw]

Allan, hats off to your descision

[darnapar]

You need to remember that the Red Cross is SUPER careful. That does not mean you are at serious risk for malaria because you have traveled to these countries. If you were doing two weeks of hiking in Belize's forest than your risk would be much greater. It is also not the cruiselines job to inform you of all risks before you travel. You should always check the CDC website for information about health concerns on your destination prior to going there.

[mmacdcc]

I have been a blood donor for a long time and always have known that some countries are on the list as unacceptable for donors to have visited recently. England is one of those.

Also, recent vaccinations will disqualify a donor temporarily.

Slinkie
You have to have lived in England for more than 6 months after 1980. I used to donate blood, but once that ruling came out, I couldn't -- we lived in England 1979-1983. It's because of mad cow disease. A little TOO strict, if you ask me.

And the blood bank always loved me -- I'm O neg, universal donor.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Because both of us have health issues that prevent us from donating blood, it isn't a worry to us.

BUT we have known about the blood donating problem after having visited certain areas of the world. It is a concern.

Right now we have a friend in Tampa who is underging the Pegasus treatment for Hepa C - got it from tainted blood right here in our own country. Fourteen years ago our blood was screened thoroughly.

[sail7seas]

Blessing on all of you who make blood donations. You are special people....you truly have saved lives.

[Margie_Lady]

I am also a platelet donor, approaching 150 donations. While the Canadian Blood Service does defer you for a year after being in a potential malerial area for whole blood or platelet donations, they will accept you after 6 months and let you make a regular donation, but they will specially mark the bag. The donated blood is then seperated, and only the plasma is used. If you live in an area of Canada that does pherisis for plasma, perhaps you could also donate that way.

This information could be out of date as I am currently waiting for my 6 months to be up for being in a malerial area. Hopefully it is still current, and all you other die-hard donors can get back to giving sooner.

I agree with Allan - when you are used to donating platelets every two weeks, it becomes an important part of your life. You think long and hard about where you holiday if it is going to impact your eligibility.

That being said, the rules are there for a reason. I would feel terrible if I thought that there was even a small chance that I would contribute to making a sick person even sicker.