Become a Donor
Regular Donors
Regular donors can now book their appointment online
Platelets Donors
Our platelet donation clinics are in Dublin and Cork. Platelets are used in the treatment of cancer and leukemic patients, bone marrow transplant, new born babies and burns victims. There is always a need for platelet donors.
Bone Marrow Donors
The Irish Unrelated Bone Marrow Registry helps patients to find a matching life-saving donor. A stem cell transplant can be a treatment option for more than 80 diseases and disorders. Every person who registers gives a patient in need a better chance of finding their match.
Supporting Us
Companies, charities, sports teams, and individuals can call support blood donation in different ways!
Campaigns
Watch and read about our exciting national campaigns that put donors at the centre of promoting blood donation - because they know the incredible difference their actions make
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vCJD - UK donors now able to donate

The IBTS removed the permanent deferral regarding vCJD associated with UK residency and certain surgical procedures. This means that from 7th October 2019 donors who have been deferred by the IBTS for this reason or people who have not attended a clinic for this reason may now be eligible to give blood provided that they meet our other medical guidelines.

Review of vCJD Risk in Donors Who Lived in the UK

In 2019 the IBTS undertook a comprehensive review of the vCJD risk associated with blood transfusion. The review concluded that the risk from UK residency (1980-1996) and certain procedures is low.

Brain or Spinal Cord Surgery in the UK

Individuals who had brain or spinal cord surgery in the UK, or received blood transfusions in the UK or Ireland after 1980, are still ineligible to donate. This is because there is a high infectivity risk associated with these tissues.

What is variant Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease (vCJD)?

Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is the human form of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) also known as “Mad Cow Disease”. It is acquired by eating bovine meat containing central nervous system tissue from infected cattle that carry an abnormal prion protein. There are other forms of CJD some of which are inherited and these are not related to the food chain.

vCJD Cases in the UK and Ireland

Since 1996, there have been 178 cases in the UK and 4 in Ireland, with no cases reported after 2006 or in people born after 1989.

Previous UK Deferral

At the peak of the UK epidemic, some patients with the disease had been blood donors. Investigations revealed that three blood recipients had died from the disease, indicating potential transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) through transfusions. A fourth recipient, who died of an unrelated condition, had abnormal prion proteins found at autopsy.

In 1999, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service (IBTS) began removing white blood cells from donated blood, effectively preventing vCJD transmission. Since then, no cases of transfusion-transmitted vCJD have been reported with blood that underwent this process.

Why 1980 to 1996?

This period includes the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) epidemic in the UK, which lasted from 1980 to 1996. The first BSE cases in cattle were reported in 1986, and scientists estimate the incubation period is about five years, indicating BSE likely emerged around 1980. The disease is believed to have originated from cattle being fed processed meat and bone meal from other animals. The UK implemented control measures to reduce human exposure, fully enforcing them since 1996.

Future Risk of vCJD

The last reported case of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) in the UK was in 2016. While some cases may still occur, risk assessments predict a significantly lower number than initially expected, with no cases reported in individuals born after 1989. Stricter regulations have been established in the agri-food sector to prevent further outbreaks.