Blood Donors

Just an FYI. In the state of Florida you may not donate blood for one year after visiting Roatan due to the threat of malaria. I would imagine that the other states have similiar restrictions.

So... if you are a blood donor, go ahead and donate prior to your cruise. Thank you!

Interesting, I will have to ask my doctor about this next time I see him.

As far as I know this is true regardless of the state. You can't donate blood for 1 year after travelling to any country with malaria. See the Red cross donation guidelines:

http://www.redcross.org/services/biomed/0,1082,0_557_,00.html

Wait 3 years after completing treatment for malaria. Wait 12 months after returning from a trip to an area where malaria is found.

You're right. I was deferred in California by the blood bank for one year. They didn't care about any where that I had been EXCEPT Roatan.

I live in Texas and also was unable to give blood late last year as we cruised and went to Roatan earlier last year...

This is true for Labadee Haiti too!

Well, just found out the hard way today about this. Got back from Roatan last week, and sure enough, today, they said I couldn't give for one year. Never thought about searching the threads for this but I'm bummed about not giving.

This should probably be a sticky for this thread, especially for those who may have surgery post-cruise and were planning on saving blood for themselves.

Strange thing is...we were in Labadee about 2 years ago, and I kept giving blood after that so not sure what changed on that one.

... This should probably be a sticky for this thread, especially for those who may have surgery post-cruise and were planning on saving blood for themselves...

DONE!!

Glad to be of service,

Kat

DONE!!

 

Glad to be of service' date='

 

Kat[/quote']

 

Thanks Kat! I'm sure it will help someone out there plan better than the rest of us, ha!

Strange thing is...we were in Labadee about 2 years ago, and I kept giving blood after that so not sure what changed on that one.

Did you mention you were in Labadee when you tried to donate? My guess is you didn't and donated. In reality the risk of malaria when visiting from a cruise ship only during the day is zero but if they ask and you tell them you were in Honduras it is an automatic deferral for 1 year.

Did you mention you were in Labadee when you tried to donate?

I'm sure I did atleast one of the times I donated. Are you indicating that Labadee restriction has been around for 2 years then? Interesting indeed.

I am thinking this would not be a problem since it would not be infecting anyone else. I get blood transfusions every 6 month and I would assume all is well, except my husband was with me and I usaly get blood from him or my parents.

I wish I would have read this. Now I have questions!

I am thinking this would not be a problem since it would not be infecting anyone else. I get blood transfusions every 6 month and I would assume all is well, except my husband was with me and I usaly get blood from him or my parents.

 

I wish I would have read this. Now I have questions!

You should still be OK. You're the recipient, not the donor:) To not give you a needed transfusion would be negligence.

I believe if you want to donate for yourself in the event of surgery, no problems since it would be earmarked for you and could be disposed of afterwards if not needed. I think the same thing applies if a relative wants to donate specifically for you. The restriction only applies when it's going to the general blood bank.

You should still be OK. You're the recipient, not the donor:) To not give you a needed transfusion would be negligence.

 

I believe if you want to donate for yourself in the event of surgery, no problems since it would be earmarked for you and could be disposed of afterwards if not needed. I think the same thing applies if a relative wants to donate specifically for you. The restriction only applies when it's going to the general blood bank.

You are correct-my mom is prohibited from giving blood to the general bank (too many medical/med. issues), but she was able to bank blood for herself prior to surgery. Any blood banked from one person to be used for themselves is not put in the general bank when not used.

My husband and i give whenever we're eligible. I will make sure we both donate before leaving...

also, you may always receive blood-the risk is of you passing a disease on (people with aids are transfused-one of my aunts does it for a living!) so the risk is in your blood being used by someone else and infecting them.

This is good to know. I wonder if it would apply if you didn't get off the ship while in port?

This is good to know. I wonder if it would apply if you didn't get off the ship while in port?

It really just depends how you answer the question. If you say you have been to Honduras than you are automatically deferred for 1 year. I doubt you could explain to the person at the blood bank that you stayed on the ship. There really isn't any risk to being in Honduras on a cruise ship assuming you don't spend any time there after dark. Malaria mosquitos are only out from dusk till dawn.

FYI, This is an FDA regulation and should be enforced regardless of what state or blood bank organization you visit.

I'm sure I did at least one of the times I donated. Are you indicating that Labadee restriction has been around for 2 years then? Interesting indeed.

Other donation places may not be as restrictive as AMR.

how do you keep from getting malaria? are you in danger if contracting malaria in that country?

how do you keep from getting malaria? are you in danger if contracting malaria in that country?

Don`t get bitten by the mosquitos. Use plenty of insect repellent.

I am going in November but I am still serving my years` ban for going to the Dominican Republic in January. I don`t know why some of the islands are fine and others are on the list to avoid.

how do you keep from getting malaria? are you in danger if contracting malaria in that country?

Don`t get bitten by the mosquitos. Use plenty of insect repellent.

If you are truly worried about it, you can get a prescription for an anti-malarial drug. You take it once a week for 2 weeks prior to, each week during, and for 4 weeks after your trip. Even this won't guarantee that you don't get malaria if you're bitten by a malaria infected mosquito, but it will decrase your risk.

Personally, I rely on lots of bug spray, as the drug makes me violently ill.

I don`t know why some of the islands are fine and others are on the list to avoid.

It's really pretty simple, Some areas are known to have malaria and while others don't have it.

I believe the bans change depending on whether malaria-infested mosquitoes have been captured in a place. I've gone to Cancun with no change in blood donation, then the next year it would be on the restricted list.

It doesn't seem to matter if you get off the ship either. I couldn't donate for a year after we went through the Panama Canal and that cruise didn't even have a stop in Panama. I specifically told the Red Cross I had not gotten off the ship. Just to be safe, do your donating before you leave.

I believe the ban moves depending on where infected mosquitoes have been trapped recently. We travel to Cancun often and I have seen it on the list of restricted areas one year and off the list the next year only to return the following year.

It doesn't seem to matter if you get off the ship or not. After our Panama Canal cruise I wasn't able to donate for a year and that cruise had no stops in Panama. The Red Cross said it didn't matter...just going through the canal was enough to restrict you.

I think ARC added an exclusion for Labadee, i.e. you can donate if you only visited Labadee in Haiti. The rest of Haiti is malarial risk and you will be deferred.

 

Other donation places may not be as restrictive as AMR.

That was my experience also. I was able to donate after visiting Labadee only after making sure to tell them that I did not leave the private cruise port area of Labadee.