Sunday, January 27, 2013

Donor Kebabs

Lived in the UK - can I donate blood if I have lived in the UK, France or the Republic of Ireland?

If you lived in the UK, France or the Republic of Ireland for a total of six months or more between 1980 and 1996 then unfortunately you will be permanently deferred from donating blood in New Zealand.
This is because of CJD and vCJD – the human form of “mad cow disease”. We simply do not know enough about these conditions and how they are spread. At present there are no tests available to detect these conditions in blood donations.
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You would think that if the NZ Blood Service were really worried about prion diseases, they would start by excluding prospective donors who have consumed either or both parents' forebrains as part of the Analeptic Alzebo ritual feast to ensure the unbroken chain of transmission of ancestral memories.

I am not convinced that they have thought this out thoroughly.

10 comments:

Yastreblyansky said...

Please clarify under what circumstances it is safe to eat one's parents' forebrains. A friend wants to know.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

Not to mention, Donner kebabs.
~

Substance McGravitas said...

they would start by excluding prospective donors who have consumed either or both parents' forebrains as part of the Analeptic Alzebo ritual

Well then you'd eliminate nearly everyone and you have to have SOME kind of blood bank.

wiley said...

I was not allowed to donate blood because I was stationed on an American military base in Europe in '81 and '82. No use in telling them that I did not eat the brain pancakes in the mess hall. The Army's tendency to eat brains in an attempt to counteract their own stupidity was legion, but I was Air Force.

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

this isn't "helping ZRM"?

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

If Alzabo is outlawed, only outlaws will take Alzabo. I hear there's a synthetic designer version known as Crocuta.

Smut Clyde said...

this isn't "helping ZRM"?
Well it could have been "Helping BBBB" too, but at Riddled we love both of you equally.

Willy said...

I was excluded by a single positive result on a Hep C screen (I had donated many times before without any Hep C screen turning up positive.) Further, more specific follow-up tests were conducted and those were negative. However, one strike and you're out according to the keepers of the blood.

fish said...

I am not convinced that they have thought this out thoroughly.

Are they mad? Very suspicious.

Smut Clyde said...

Epilepsy is another disqualifying factor (which affects others of my people though not me directly). Most countries' blood services follow this policy, though interestingly, they each have different rationalisations for it, almost as if the policy came first and the reason was an afterthought.

Some say they're concerned about traces of medication tainting the blood; others are concerned about *unmedicated* epileptics going all brainstormy during a donation and breaking expensive equipment.