Canada bans blood donations from people with history of chronic fatigue syndrome

Canada’s national blood service has announced that from next month it will ban blood donations from people with a medical history of chronic fatigue syndrome, as a precautionary measure. It is the first country in the world to do so.

“Canadian Blood Services takes the safety of the blood supply very seriously,” said Dana Devine, the agency’s vice president of medical, scientific, and research affairs. “Until recently Canadian Blood Services has accepted blood donations from donors who report a history of [chronic fatigue syndrome] but are now well. Donors who are not well may not donate blood.”

Dr Devine cited a report published in Science …