Canadian Blood Service Removes Upper Age Limit
By Susan Munroe, About.com Guide December 14, 2004
My BioHeadlinesForumRSS.Canadian Blood Services, the non-profit organization that manages the blood supply in all provinces and territories outside of Quebec, has removed the upper age limit for Canadian blood donors. Donors over the age of 71 will now be able to continue to donate blood as long as they meet certain health requirements. Héma-Québec, which runs the blood service in the province of Quebec, also removed its upper age limit recently.
Canadian Blood Services says that older donors are some of their most faithful donors, they are less likely to make dramatic changes in lifestyle that could put the blood system at risk, and they have a lower incidence of adverse reactions. The agency estimates that in five years the change to the age limit could increase the number of annual donations by over 8,000 per year.
To find out where you can donate blood, search the database of blood donor clinics by city or by postal code.
More: Health in Canada.
