From:
To:
Subject:
Date:
Attachments:
Christina Abel
*OAH_RuleComments.OAH
Docket# 8-0900-30570
Wednesday, July 24, 2013 8:09:13 AM
Response to Comment about Blood Donors with Hepatitis B Histories.docx
Dear Judge Lipman,
The first attachment is my letter in response to the misunderstanding the MDH had
on what they said that I had "assumed" about the "hepatitis" before age eleven and
blood donation.
The second attachment, which was originally sent, but not found on MDH website, is
the memorandum to this exemption of a history of “hepatitis” before age eleven.
Thank you,
Chris Abel
“Response to Comment about Blood Donors with Hepatitis B Histories – Exhibit AO Submitted
by Ms. Chris Abel - Ms. Abel submitted Exhibit AO, “Hepatitis B Vaccine for Daycare.”
“In the exhibit she implies that the Red Cross allows people to donate blood even if they had a
history of hepatitis B before age 11.”
This is what I wrote: “According to the 2013 American National Red Cross web site it is still
okay to donate blood if you have had a history of viral hepatitis prior to 11-years-or-age.”
I never implied that the Red Cross knowingly allows people to donate blood if they had a history
of hepatitis B before age eleven. The Red Cross uses the word “hepatitis” before age eleven as a
screening question before donating blood.
I too was concerned about hepatitis B and blood donation.
That is why I called the FDA back in 1997 and asked why it would be okay to donate blood even
if you were diagnosed with “hepatitis” before age 11?”
And their response was, they were not concerned with hepatitis A, but they were concerned
with hepatitis B for blood donation. The committee members felt that children under the age
of 11 were not likely to have the risky behaviors, promiscuous sex or IV drug use, to be infected
with hepatitis B virus before the age of eleven. (Phone, Marcy Troy, FDA, May '97)
And according to the “FDA” This question would allow for a large number of suitable donors
with a “hepatitis” diagnosis before age eleven to donate blood.
The second attachment, which was originally sent, but not found on MDH website, is the
memorandum to this exemption of a history of “hepatitis” before age eleven.
This policy is still on the © 2013 American National Red Cross web site.
Even after 21 years this general “Hepatitis” screening question is still being used. Apparently it
allows a large number of suitable donors to donate blood because most “hepatitis” before age
11 is probably not hepatitis B. And yes, every unit of donated blood is tested and if a person tests
positive for hepatitis B, that person may not in the future serve as a blood donor.
.http://www.redcrossblood.org/learn-about-blood/what-happens-donated-blood/blood-testing
My point was there is one Government agency who makes policy for screening blood based on
the assumption that most children in the U.S. if they were diagnosed with “hepatitis” before the
age eleven probably did not have hepatitis B. This policy allows for a large number of persons
to donate blood even with a history of viral “hepatitis” before age eleven. Every unit of donated
blood is tested for several types of diseases not just for hepatitis B and when a person test
positive for any of them he cannot donate blood again.
Sorry for any misunderstanding.
Chris Abel