With flu cases through the roof, unprecedented flooding, and no end to Covid in sight; 2022 saw blood donations take a nasty nosedive.
In response, Lifeblood – the blood blank of the Australian Red Cross – has continued to call for more donors, but also requested a decades old ban limiting a specific group of people from donating blood be lifted.
On this episode of The Science Briefing, Dr Sophie Calabretto talks to Jacinta Bowler about the origins of mad cow disease and the blood ban that stopped those exposed to the virus from donating blood in Australia for 22 years.
The Science Briefing is a LiSTNR production
Listen to more episodes of The Science Briefing
Originally published by Cosmos as Why Australia finally ended the mad cow blood ban
Cosmos
Cosmos is a quarterly science magazine. We aim to inspire curiosity in ‘The Science of Everything’ and make the world of science accessible to everyone.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.
