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Blood Donation Restriction For Persons Who Lived In UK Lifted

Blood Donation Restriction For Persons Who Lived In UK Lifted
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Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ian Borg has announced that the restriction on blood donations by persons who lived in the United Kingdom is being lifted.

‘Through this decision’, explained Borg, ‘around 15,000 British people in Malta will be able to donate blood.’

This is in reference to a ban on individuals who lived or resided in the UK for a cumulative period of 5 months or more between 1980 and 1996.

‘As of 17th August 2026, previous residence in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996 is no longer a reason for permanent deferral from blood donation in Malta’, the Q&A section of blood.gov.mt explains.

‘The previous deferral was introduced as a precautionary measure in response to the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), associated with exposure to bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, commonly known as “mad cow disease”).’

#MaltaDaily