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blood donation image via Shutterstock

Lots of NI citizens still can't donate blood here because of 2004 policy

The policy was brought in following the first confirmed case of vCJD transmission via blood transfusion in the UK.

CITIZENS FROM NORTHERN Ireland are still not allowed to donate blood in the Republic due to a policy that was introduced ten years ago.

Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams recently asked Health Minister James Reilly about the restriction on this and Reilly said it was based on a permanent deferral policy in regard to blood donation for people who resided for 12 months or more in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man between 1980 and 1996.

The policy was first introduced by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) in 2004 following the first confirmed case of vCJD transmission via blood transfusion in the UK.

There is no test for vCJD and confirmation that someone had the disease is only possible post mortem. The incidence of vCJD, and of BSE, in Northern Ireland, while lower than in parts of the UK, was higher than that in the Republic of Ireland.

“The incidence of vCJD, and of BSE, in Northern Ireland, while lower than in parts of the UK, was higher than that in the Republic of Ireland,” Reilly said.

This week the Medical Independent reported that the IBTS said it keeps the policy “under continuous review and all new scientific evidence regarding vCJD risk is regularly reviewed”.

Read: Tracing The Blood Line: Here’s what to expect when you give blood>

Read: Tracing The Blood Line: Here’s what happens to your blood after you donate>

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22 Comments
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 12:05 PM

    The producers are bluffing the EU, Ireland is doing it right. Aldi and Lidl do this here too – you can see exactly where the fish was caught, how it was caught and even the scientific name of the kind of fish. It obviously doesn’t cost Aldi and Lidl huge amounts to respect customers enough to supply information.

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    Mute Cloud Jellies
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 11:48 AM

    New law! How about enforcing the old laws that would be a start.

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    Mute Tommy_Bannon
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 11:25 AM

    Closing the stable door after the horse has bolted.
    This is why intelligent humans choose vegetarianism.

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    Mute techman
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 12:08 PM

    @Tommy_Bannon: Closing the stable door after the horse was eaten , to be more precise

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    Mute Mick
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 1:21 PM

    Don’t forget there are plenty of intelligent people who eat meat too.

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 11:34 AM

    If you want to be healthy try cutting animal products from your diet. Processed meat that comes in a packet can’t be good for you. Either can milk from another animal that full of hormones and puss..

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    Mute Mick
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 12:52 PM

    European milk does not contain hormones or ‘puss’. Every delivery from every farm is checked for temperature, antibiotics, bacteria etc. So stop spreading downright lies about the food we produce.

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 2:05 PM

    @Mick: of course there’s hormones in milk. You do realise dairy cows are constantly impregnated to produce milk. Cows like women are full of hormones while pregnant and those naturally produced hormones go into their milk to help bulk up calves. Its not intended for human consumption.. If you’re happy drinking and eating another animals milk go ahead.. Each to their own i suppose

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    Mute Mick
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 2:24 PM

    I’m a dairy farmer myself. I understand completely the process works. What you are implying is false though. Natural, grass fed milk contains nothing untoward, we’ve been drinking milk for thousands of years. It’s when people start adding sugar and salt, E numbers and artificial chemical additives is when the trouble starts.

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 2:33 PM

    @Mick: Mick im not implying anything false. Cows milk is full of hormones, hormones that nature intends to help calves bulk up hundreds of pounds. It is not intended for children or adults to consume.

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    Mute Mick
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 4:42 PM

    The natural hormones in milk are not in unusual quantities to cause any harm in humans. The levels of protein, butterfat etc in the 6L+ of milk that a calf consumes are responsible for growth. Generations of Irish people have eaten beef, dairy, eggs etc without issue. Obesity has only become an issue in this country since the 70′s, due to the advent of cheap, highly processed foods, the likes of coca cola with 30g+ of sugar per serving.

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    Mute Philip King
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 10:12 PM

    @Cosmo Kramer: backtrack much?

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    Mute Niall Donnelly
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 1:04 PM

    What about products labelled as Irish but brought down from the Uk?

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    Mute Jho Harris
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 4:33 PM

    No mention of take always etc imposing their religious beliefs on you, if you buy a ham pizza at many hundred placed you may be served dyed turkey NOT ham because these people don’t have any respect for you, nor your freedom to eat what you choose. It is often written on menu boards but often it won’t; it is dishonest but not illegal make sure your ham is not turkey meat dyed pink a common practice these days but The EU respect our rights on these issues.

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    Mute Andrew Swaine
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    Apr 8th 2017, 12:20 PM

    Any particular reason a Lidl own-brand product was chosen to illustrate the story? Is there something we should be told?

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    Mute Maurice Dodd
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    Apr 3rd 2017, 11:34 PM

    Anybody .anywhere.here or abroad held accountable for putting shit into our food in the form of un regulated horse meat?anyone..

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