I used to regularly donate every three months because my blood type is the most common (O) but apparently I lived a country that had a CJD outbreak at one point when I was living there and since blood services no cheap effective way of screening for it in the blood + CJD is blood transmissible through plasma, I can't donate anymore. Last time I went, the nurse just politely told me sorry and sent me on my way.
If you are thinking of donating and lived in the UK or Saudi Arabia, you need to see the vCJD section here:
http://www.blood.ca/centreapps/inter...Q?OpenDocument
Quick note on the deferral for CJD and vCJD that is extremely broad
Quote:
People are not eligible to donate blood or plasma if they have spent a cumulative total of three months or more in the United Kingdom (U.K.) between 1980, and 1996, or if they have spent a cumulative total of three months or more in France between 1980, and 1996, or if they have spent a cumulative total of five years or more in Western Europe outside the U.K. or France since 1980. In addition, people are not eligible to donate blood or plasma if they have had a blood transfusion or received medical treatment with a product made from blood in the U.K., France or Western Europe since 1980.
The U.K. includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Wales, Channel Islands. Western Europe includes: Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Republic of Ireland, Netherlands, Austria, Liechtenstien, Portugal, Denmark.
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You may not be eligible to donate so don't waste your time going down to the clinic. Seems like a very odd reason to blanket reject everyone given the occurrence rates and likely levels of exposure (esp from ppl not having received blood products/being on a farm) but hey, precautions and what not.