NEW BLOOD DONOR TRAVEL CRITERIA

New guidelines issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be implemented in two phases to help prevent blood shortages. This is in an effort to decrease the possibility that vCJD, the human form of "Mad Cow Disease," could enter the U.S. blood supply. Stanford Blood Center encourages individuals who are eligible to donate until May or October to continue to donate until that time in order to avoid blood shortages while efforts to recruit replacement donors are being implemented.

Starting May 29, 2002* the following individuals will become ineligible to donate blood for transfusion to others:

  • Individuals who spent a total of three months or more in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 .
  • Individuals who were in the U.S. military, dependents of U.S. military, or civilian military and were stationed in certain European countries for six months or more between 1980 and 1996. (This is because some U.S. military bases in Europe obtained their meat from the United Kingdom. Please contact the Stanford Blood Center to discuss where you were stationed.)
  • Individuals who lived in France for five years or more since 1980 .
  • Individuals who received a blood transfusion in the United Kingdom since 1980

Starting October 28, 2002* the following additional individuals will become ineligible:

  • Individuals who spent five years or more since 1980 in some other European countries. (Please contact the Stanford Blood Center to discuss your situation).

*Implementation dates are specific to the Stanford Blood Center. Other blood centers may have varying implementation dates.

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