I Can't Give Blood

[cindiedee]

DH and I have never been allowed to donate blood - although we would both like to and have tried many times.

 

We were told last time that we must reside in the USA for one full year continuously before we could donate blood. Because we cruise frequently, we haven't been in the USA continuously for one full year - in at least 20 years! Even when it was just going to Europe which is civilized in my opinion, they wouldn't take our blood.

 

I just hate it - here so many people need blood and perfectly normal folks like us aren't allowed to donate........just because we cruise and travel.

 

Cindiedee

[LovesCruising]

Costa Maya is also on that list - and no the cruise line does not inform you

[B_Mc]

Samana earned me a year of sitting out.

 

You're not permanently banned, are you?

 

Usually if you're in urban areas they still allow it. That is, Canadian Blood Services does...

[moknits]

Hmmm... I went to Labadee a few years ago. When I came back and donated blood, I checked Haiti off the list on the screening sheet. When the screener asked me about it, I explained it was on a cruise. She said, "Oh, but you didn't stay overnight? It doesn't count," and crossed it off. Since then, I've never mentioned my cruise ship stops if I didn't stay there overnight.

 

England was also on the banned list for a while - mad cow, maybe?

[cb at sea]

Don't ask, don't tell seems to work for most things....being in Labadee doesn't (or shouldn't) affect your ability to donate blood.

 

If it does, it's only for 1 year.

[dmwnc1959]

England was also on the banned list for a while - mad cow, maybe?

 

Most of Europe is on the list of 'cannot donate' plasma if you lived there from 1980-1998 due to Mad Cow Disease. That includes a LOT of military personnel covered under this rule:

 

Military personnel (current and former), and their dependents, who spent time in military bases in northern Europe 1980-1990, or southern Europe (1980-1996), for 6 months or more.

[Scottee25]

I don't know why it would be the cruise lines responsibility to tell you if you are visiting a port that may exclude you from being able to donate blood for 1 year. Much like making sure you have all the required visas, this also falls under the responsibility of the passenger. Do your research and see how visiting a port will affect you. Check with the CDC, The Red Cross, and the State Dept to learn what you need to.

[sg1phileshipper]

Same story here in Belgium. I'm not allowed to give blood when I come back from.... the USA. I have to wait 4 weeks until I can give blood again, because of the west nile virus that is present in the US and not here. First time they told me that I have to admit that I was a little bit surprised. :eek:

 

Cindy

[Scottee25]

Hmmm... I went to Labadee a few years ago. When I came back and donated blood, I checked Haiti off the list on the screening sheet. When the screener asked me about it, I explained it was on a cruise. She said, "Oh, but you didn't stay overnight? It doesn't count," and crossed it off. Since then, I've never mentioned my cruise ship stops if I didn't stay there overnight.

The screener may have been wrong. There is nothing on the Red Cross' website about it not counting if you don't stay over night. As other posters have stated, the ban is due to malaria risk. If you stepped foot on the island, you are at risk of exposure. Also, the Red Cross does not check blood donations for malaria so you not mentioning your cruise stops could potentially be putting others in danger if your blood is contaminated.

[Scottee25]

The following link is a Malaria Map with the CDC. It is used by the Red Cross for determining at risk regions. Load it and click on Haiti to see the details. Under the column heading "Malaria in Country" it says "All (Including Port Labadee)". It appears that Hispanola is the only place in the entire Caribbean with a malaria risk. However, the CDC still considers RCCL's Labadee Port to be a risk.

 

http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/map/

[RoofingPrincess]

And when I went on my Western Caribbean cruise, I was deferred from donating blood for a year because I'd chosen to go on an excursion to the Mayan ruins at Progreso. If I'd stayed in the city/at the beach, I would not have been deferred.

[FLACRUISER99]

Simple, if donating blood is very important to you don't go on a cruise or travel!

[matj2000]

Just don't tell them that you have been on a cruise. I stopped mentioning it to them a few years ago because they wanted places & times. Became a hassle & I know my blood is good...........

[ducklite]

This goes against everything I have been told. Being on a ship tied to the dock absolutely does mean you are in that country, so I'm surprised a nurse would say that.

 

You don't dock at Labadee, you tender. The ship is 150+ yards away from land, further than mosquitoes would fly.

[FLACRUISER99]

You don't dock at Labadee, you tender. The ship is 150+ yards away from land, further than mosquitoes would fly.

Sorry you do dock.

[ducklite]

That must be new then--when we went there it was tender. If you dock then yes, you are in the country.

[mjldvlks]

For what it's worth, Here is a link to the American Red Cross site with all their rules [other agencies, such as the VA, may have different rules]:

 

http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical-listing#arc11

 

It has links to the malaria map and other details. I found out, interestingly, that I am deferred indefinitely because I lived in Germany for more than 6 months from 1980 and 1990 [stationed in Germany from Oct 1977-Sep 1980]. Part of the "mad-cow" issue. I say interestingly because I have given blood since I returned [although it has been a while] and was never asked.

[Tapi]

Under the column heading "Malaria in Country" it says "All (Including Port Labadee)". It appears that Hispanola is the only place in the entire Caribbean with a malaria risk. However, the CDC still considers RCCL's Labadee Port to be a risk.

 

That's interesting to know. When we lived in Miami a few years ago, one of our friends wanted to donate blood, and he had been in Labadee. He told the screener that he had been to Haiti, and the screener specifically asked him if his visit had been to Labadee on a cruise ship. The screener then told him that it was OK to donate blood.

 

I guess the screener was wrong, or rules have changed since then.

[Scottee25]

That's interesting to know. When we lived in Miami a few years ago, one of our friends wanted to donate blood, and he had been in Labadee. He told the screener that he had been to Haiti, and the screener specifically asked him if his visit had been to Labadee on a cruise ship. The screener then told him that it was OK to donate blood.

 

I guess the screener was wrong, or rules have changed since then.

 

Well if the screener is not wrong, then perhaps The Red Cross has an internal policy regarding Labadee visits that is not being communicated on their website. However, all of the eligibility requirements listed on the Red Cross website would bar someone from donating blood if they set foot on the island... that is, if the policies are being followed as outlined on the website.

[Scottee25]

Just don't tell them that you have been on a cruise. I stopped mentioning it to them a few years ago because they wanted places & times. Became a hassle & I know my blood is good...........

 

If they actually checked blood for malaria, then I can see why you might want to avoid the hassle... but the fact is, they don't check for malaria, and if you have visited someplace that is at risk, you have the potential to spread that by donating. How do you know your blood is good?

[kobecat]

Just don't tell them that you have been on a cruise. I stopped mentioning it to them a few years ago because they wanted places & times. Became a hassle & I know my blood is good...........

 

Sorry, but how do you know?

 

In Australia you can donate plasma, not whole blood, more easily. Therefore if you travel a lot like we do, this is the way to go. I was also deferred many times mainly because of being to the USA and the West Nile Virus, which is also a mosquito carried virus, just like malaria.

[Scottee25]

...the West Nile Virus, which is also a mosquito carried virus, just like malaria.

 

Difference is, they test blood for West Nile. They do not test for malaria. However, I agree with your original point.

[ducklite]

The rules do change on a regular basis. At one point all of Africa was off limits, now parts of Morocco and Egypt are OK.

 

It's not just malaria though. It's Jakob Creutzfeldt, HIV/AIDS, certain cancers and cancer treatments, Hepatitis, West Nile, and I suspect eventually Lyme are all blood borne conditions that need to be screened for and avoided.

[TPKeller]

That's interesting to know. When we lived in Miami a few years ago, one of our friends wanted to donate blood, and he had been in Labadee. He told the screener that he had been to Haiti, and the screener specifically asked him if his visit had been to Labadee on a cruise ship. The screener then told him that it was OK to donate blood.

 

I guess the screener was wrong, or rules have changed since then.

I am certain that at one point Labadee was the exception to the Haiti ban, and not included with it.

 

As noted, they do change the rules all the time, and probably just like the IRS or even the RCCL customer service phone bank, you may very well end up with different rules on the same day when asking different people.

 

Theron

[B_Mc]

Just don't tell them that you have been on a cruise. I stopped mentioning it to them a few years ago because they wanted places & times. Became a hassle & I know my blood is good...........

 

This is disturbing. How many other things are you or others lying about? No wonder they have such a hard time keeping the blood supply safe....