TY - JOUR T1 - TRansmissible spongiform encephalopathies and the us blood supply—reply AU - Mitka M Y1 - 1999/12/22 N1 - 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-282-24-jbk1222 JO - JAMA SP - 2301 EP - 2302 VL - 282 IS - 24 N2 - In Reply: I appreciate that Dr Wilkinson may disagree with my use of language; however, the offending phrases quoted in her letter are taken out of context and appear more sensational than they actually are. Her point that I wrote a factual inaccuracy is partially correct. Current FDA policy does defer blood donations by individuals with classic CJD. However, Wilkinson's statement that previous donations of blood and blood components from such individuals are discarded is not fully accurate. On September 8, 1998, the FDA issued a change to its guidance governing blood donations involving people with CJD.1 The guidance involved plasma derivatives and indicated that such blood products would be allowed even if they came from donors who subsequently develop classic CJD (new variant CJD blood products would still be subject to retrieval, quarantine, and destruction). SN - 0098-7484 M3 - doi: 10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-282-24-jbk1222 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10-1001/pubs.JAMA-ISSN-0098-7484-282-24-jbk1222 ER -