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Dear Donors,
We wanted to share some great news with you. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has now removed the referral guidelines for potential donors who were deferred from donating blood because of Mad Cow Disease (variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or vCJD). It’s a rare disease of the central nervous system. Despite initial concerns of potential transmission, science continues to show that the transmission risk of Mad Cow Disease by blood components remains only theoretical.
So, what does this mean? Many individuals who were ineligible to donate blood because they spent time living in the United Kingdom from 1980-1996; or in France and Ireland from 1980-2001; or received a blood transfusion in those countries from 1980-present are now eligible to donate blood with us and help local patients in our area.
We at SunCoast Blood Centers are looking forward to welcoming back previously deferred donors. Please note that permanent deferrals remain in place for donors who volunteer that they are suspected of having vCJD or any other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies; have a blood relative diagnosed with familial prion disease; or who received cadaveric pituitary human growth hormone, or a human cadaveric (allogeneic) dura mater transplant.
To those who are now eligible to donate, please call us at 1-866-97-BLOOD to make your blood donation appointment or go online to www.suncoastblood.org
We hope to see you soon!
The Team at SunCoast Blood Centers!
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