(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has approved a change in the local blood donor eligibility policy following a review of the potential risk posed by people who had visited or lived in countries affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as “mad cow disease”. This means people who lived in Britain between 1980 and 2001 or who had received a blood transfusion in the UK from 1980 onwards can now give blood here.

This new policy, announced by Health Minister Sabrina Turner in the parliament on Friday afternoon, takes immediate effect. She explained that an assessment of the current risk, along with existing controls for blood donors, allowed several countries to revisit similar policies.

While humans cannot contract BSE, eating beef from a cow that has BSE can trigger the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), which causes progressive and ultimately fatal brain damage.

“The blood donor policy restrictions were necessary for the safeguarding of public health in the 1980s and beyond,” said Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Gent in a press release following the minister’s statement.

“However, there have been no new cases of vCJD diagnosed in the UK among people born after the introduction of strong dietary protection measures introduced in 1989. This strongly suggests that the zoonotic transmission pathway was effectively closed in the UK over 30 years ago,” Dr Gent added.

A clinical sub-group of the Health Services Authority (HSA) considered the evidence available, which also included secondary risk through transfusion-transmission, and based on that evidence, made the recommendation for the exclusion to be lifted.

Dr Gent has met with representatives from both Health City Cayman Islands (HCCI) and Doctor’s Hospital, the other two main users of blood and blood products in the Cayman Islands, both of which were also in favour of the change. 

“This change in blood donor eligibility is a game changer,” said Turner in the parliament. “By significantly increasing our local blood donor pool, we are reducing Cayman’s dependency on importing blood from the US and strengthening local resilience. This will be especially beneficial in times of personal and national emergencies where there may be a great demand for blood products.”

The Cayman Islands Blood Bank welcomed the policy change, noting the strong donation culture of UK and European citizens, especially those residing in the Cayman Islands.

Dr Lundie Richards, HSA Haematologist-Oncologist and Head of Internal Medicine, said staff have had to defer volunteers in the past due to concerns about transmitting vCJD through blood transfusions. “We are extremely pleased that we are now able to accept more donations without compromising safety. And, as always, the Blood Bank will continue to prioritise safety by screening and thoroughly testing all donated blood,” she said.

In order to become a blood donor, there are some basic requirements to fulfil. New donors must be between 18 and 60 (existing donors up to 70) and weigh at least 50 kg. They must be in good health at the time and cannot have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug or any other infection. They cannot donate within six months of acquiring a tattoo or a piercing. A haemoglobin test will be conducted before donation, and anyone who has travelled to areas where mosquito-borne infections are endemic will be deferred.

Donations can be made Mondays to Fridays from 7am to 6:30pm, and Saturdays from 9am to 5:30pm at the Cayman Islands Blood Bank located at the George Town Hospital.

See here for more information and to book an appointment or call 244-2674.

Walk-ins welcome.