I lived in Germany in the 80's when my dad was stationed there as part of the military. I am barred from giving blood in the United States, as are many military men and women who served during that time, because of this [1]. This is especially sad because many active and former military personnel, and their families, take blood donation very seriously.
I was raised to do it, but I am now barred due to the note on the eligibility sheets. I talked to a Red Cross area administrator about it and he said that, even though it has been over 20 years, they are unlikely to lift the ban until effective testing and treatments are found. Since there are no tests, they can't risk the blood supply.
I was raised to do it, but I am now barred due to the note on the eligibility sheets. I talked to a Red Cross area administrator about it and he said that, even though it has been over 20 years, they are unlikely to lift the ban until effective testing and treatments are found. Since there are no tests, they can't risk the blood supply.
[1] Check the details of the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, Variant (vCJD); "Mad Cow Disease" option: http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requ...