LONDON: Babies and children undergoing serious operations will be given blood plasma imported from the United States in the first safety measures to be announced since scientists confirmed the risk of infection with the human form of BSE (mad cow disease) through blood transfusions.

Supplies may not be available for another year since contracts have yet to be signed with US blood collection services. The measures are being introduced for children born in 1996 and after, because in theory very few of them could have been infected through eating meat due to the existing rules to prevent catching variant CJD through food.

Such children would also have the longest lives to lead if their operations were successful and so have most time in which to develop the long-incubating fatal condition.

Hazel Blears, the public health minister, said: “The safety of blood and blood products used is of paramount importance and every reasonable step is taken to minimize any risks during blood transfusion.”

The new measure is small compared to others already in place, including the import of other plasma products to treat haemophiliacs and the removal of white blood cells previously thought to be most likely to carry vCJD infection.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.