Following FDA action, Mayo Clinic lifts blood donation restriction based on European travel history

Apr. 5—ROCHESTER — More people are now eligible to donate blood through the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Program, according to an announcement Wednesday.

Previous blood donation eligibility rules set by the Food and Drug Administration prevented some people who traveled or lived in the United Kingdom, France or Ireland during a certain set of time after a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as "mad cow disease," was first reported in the U.K. in 1996.

The FDA has since removed that restriction on donating blood, so people previously impacted by this restriction can now donate blood through Mayo Clinic. The new eligibility requirements took effect Monday, April 3.

"The FDA has been periodically updating these blood donor rules as the rates of this disease (a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) have dropped worldwide," said Dr. Justin Juskewitch, associate medical director of the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Program.

In Wednesday's announcement, Juskewitch said people who have previously been deferred from donating blood should check to see if their eligibility status has changed.

"The FDA has changed several rules regarding blood donation in recent years," Juskewitch said. "If you have questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please feel free to c

ontact the Mayo Clinic Blood Donor Program

or your local blood donation center to learn if you are eligible to donate blood."