As I am from the UK, am I unable to give blood in the USA?

Question

I am due to emigrate from the UK to the USA (California) and I want to become a regular blood donor. As I have lived here all my life (24 years) Am I unable to donate blood?

Answer 1

You can't give blood. I can't give blood because I lived in the UK during a period in the 90's. They don't want to risk having blood that is contaminated with mad cow disease....as of now there is no test for the disease.

Answer 2

yes u will be able to, after some over seas blood test

Answer 3

Unfortunately, even native Americans cannot give blood if they have been in Europe in a certain period.  The best way to find out is to go to the Red Cross website and ask them about the regulations for blood donations.

Answer 4

No! Those who receive it will wind up eating fish and chips and knocking down a pint or two of lager Jimmy.

Answer 5

beside the mad cow disease the brits have to much alcohol in their blood

Answer 6

I am Canadian and I was able to donate blood here in FL. I think for UK the rules might be a bit different though, because of the whole mad cow thing.

Answer 7

I think you can.  You're not from a "questionable" health area of the world (some African and Asian nations where malaria is).

UK should be OK.

Here are the donor requirements for the US Red Cross.

Edit:  I just read through all of the requirements.  There is a restriction due to Mad Cow disease concerns.  YOU ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.

Answer 8

The interview asks if you have lived for any time in the U.K.  You will not be allowed to donate because of a concern over mad cow disease.

Answer 9

You can not donate blood if you are a foreign national . . . or have been out of the country in the past six months . . .so once you become a citizen . . . as long as you have not traveled abroad in the prior six months . . . you'll be free to donate . . . I worked for an Englishman who also wanted to donate blood . . . and this was the  response from the Red Cross . . . this was four years ago . . .

Answer 10

As of current regulations, you will never be able to donate blood because of the risk of mad cow disease showing up as Variant Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease.