Attention JCCC4 Blood Donors!

edited July 2013 in JoCo Cruise
I posted this to the FB group, but some of you aren't on Facebook so I thought I should mention it here, too: we just found out that anyone who has traveled to any part of Haiti is automatically deferred from donating blood for a full year. That's even if you're only there one day and even if you don't get off the ship. This is because Haiti is a malaria zone.

Josh mentioned trying to get a Bloodmobile to the JoCoTel the day before the cruise departs so anyone interested can get in one last donation before being deferred; sounds like a great idea to me if there's enough interest.

Comments

  • I feel terrible. My thoughts went like this: "Well that sucks. But a Bloodmobile sounds great! HEY CHEAP DRUNK!"
  • edited July 2013
    And if there were a vampire in the Bloodmobile, I'll bet he'd be saying, "HEY, CHEAP DRINK!" ;-)
  • If you cruise the Caribbean this is a common occurrence.  Several countries that are stops are classified as such.
  • After JCCC1 I kept having to stop and answer extra questions because of the stop in Jamaica. I'd check the box about Jamaica and then the staff would review the questionnaire afterwards and ask specifically which cities, which she would then consult some thick binder to see if Ocho Rios was listed, then she confirmed it was okay. I had to go through this process *every time* I donated. There was no "See same answer from last month" option.

    Also, while we're arranging for busses where people stick needles in you, maybe we can also get these guys to show up. For...you know...after.

  • Bummer that even not getting off the ship makes you ineligible for a year. The are always demanding my blood, and I'm happy to give it up.
  • I gave blood last Saturday at the Stanford Blood Center (California) and told my "vampire" about the upcoming visit to Haiti.  She did some checking and said that if I did not get off the boat, I could still give blood.  She cautioned that this was for Stanford only and that other agencies might not be the same.
  • I am doing some research that involves malaria for my  job, and I came across this interesting stat from the CDC: two-thirds of transfusion-related malaria cases in the U.S. since 1963 would have been prevented if the donor had been deferred according to established guidelines.

    There have not been a ton of transfusion-related malaria cases in the U.S., but the idea that two-thirds of them could have been prevented raised my eyebrows.

    I also learned that, while malaria can be terrible, a lot of people who don't live somewhere that malaria is endemic wind up, at first, with a mild, flu-like presentation that is often written off as a minor illness and not malaria.
  • @villicious: Thanks for sharing that. I guess I'm gonna donate while I can and get one in before we depart. And then take a year off for safety.
  • BTW, now would also be the time to start on immunizations for the cruise. Many of the CDC-recommended vaccines require 2 or more doses and/or take awhile to produce immunity.
  • Bonus note on immunizations: Hep A and B vaccinations are considered as 10+ year to lifetime vaccinations, and my doctor is an idiot and didn't tell me that until after I got my first ones.... even though I had them both 7 years ago and shared this information with the doctor. Twice. *sigh* I hope you all have better doctors.
  • I prefer to stick to geographical regions that are noted for their bienaria epidemics.
  • Did the blood thing (double red cells; bring a book) a couple of weeks ago, and will do so again in December if possible. I expect to be ineligible for the next year. So be it.
  • The way I see it, I can do a whole blood donation at the end of December and then do a double red blood cell donation just prior to the cruise, although I'm going to ask the blood center whether the immediate need for double red blood cells overrides the long term need for the extra whole blood.  Just a thought for anyone who's going to be eligible in the December-ish neighborhood.
  • I'm donating a week from Saturday (Oct. 12), so I think I'll do one in December and maybe in February just before I leave.  It depends on how (physically) well I make it through the holidays.
  • Hey, do we know what blood donation group will be used and whether or not they do double reds? (The vampires love me for double reds, as I am O+ and a hefty Fraulein.)
  • If you're talking about the possible Bloodmobile at the JoCoTel, I'm guessing they won't do apheresis, since those machines don't seem all that portable.
  • Huh... the only times I've done double reds were at mobile donation sites (although, not actually ON the bloodmobile bus...) Anyway, just checking, since it lets me double my donations. :D

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