Physicians Support Temporary Blood Donor Ban
Physicians Support Temporary Blood Donor Ban
The
Royal Australiasian College Of Physicians
Canberra 21st
September 2000 /MediaNet International-AsiaNet/ The Royal
Australasian College of Physicians has supported
the
decision by Australian Health Ministers to suspend
taking blood
donations from people who have spent six
months or more in the UK during 1980 and 1996 because of
concerns about the possible
transmission of variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) from
infected with BSE,
commonly known as "mad cow" disease.
However, Dr Robin
Mortimer, Deputy President of the College,
warned today
that the measure should be phased in over a number of months
to avoid shortages of blood for medical procedures.
"Australia is taking this precautionary action to minimise the risk of contamination to our blood supply, however remote that may be," he said.
"However this action if undertaken in haste could result in a very real risk to blood supply.
"In all other countries where donor
deferral has occurred,
including New Zealand most
recently, blood banks were given time to put in place
strategies to replace the lost donors.
"In Australia this is will be crucial as around 30,000 donors are expected to be lost."
Media inquiries: Dr Robin Mortimer, +61 7 36 36 8082.
SOURCE: THE ROYAL AUSTRALIASIAN COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS