Travel

Travel outside the country requires individual evaluation for possible exposure to infectious diseases such as Mad Cow Disease (vCJD), malaria and/or HIV/AIDS.

Some causes for indefinite deferral include:

1. A cumulative stay of three (3) months or more in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996
   
2. If stationed in Europe with the military, a stay of six (6) months or more in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece between 1980 and 1996.
3. If stationed in Europe with the military, a stay of six (6) months or more in Belgium, the Netherlands or Germany between 1980 and 1990.
   

Some causes for temporary deferral include:

1. a twelve (12) month deferral is required to areas of the world deemed at risk for acquiring malaria by the CDC. In addition, there is a three (3) year deferral for anyone who has resided in a malarial-risk area for more than six (6) months, and a three (3) year deferral following recovery from malaria.
   
2. a twelve (12) month deferral has been implemented for military and other personnel who were stationed, traveled, or resided in Iraq, to mitigate any potential risk of transmission of leishmania.

If you have recently traveled outside the United States

to any countries listed below, please click on your destination

for more information on possible deferral.  If you have traveled

to or through any of the gray-shaded areas, you will most likely

be temporarily deferred from donating blood.

Miller-Keystone Blood Center Sole Supplier of Blood to Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery, Northampton and Schuylkill (PA) and Warren (NJ) counties.

An Independent, Not-For-Profit 501(c)3 community organization, Miller-Keystone Blood Center is an affiliate of Hospital Central Services, Inc.