Website of the Department of Health

Populus study: Opinion-former attitudes towards the possible introduction of a vCJD test for blood donations

This report, commissioned on behalf of the Department of Health by the Health Protection Agency, examines attitudes of key stakeholders towards the possible future introduction of a vCJD test for blood donations. The findings highlight a number of issues around the potential introduction of such a test, particularly the level of accuracy that would be required; whether and how to notify those who have been tested of the results; extending the test beyond blood donors; and whether testing might affect people's willingness to donate blood.

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