Polluted Blood Kills Babies (Press, 16 November 1984)

On 16 November 1984, it was reported that three babies had died in Brisbane, with a fourth seriously ill, after receiving blood suspected of being contaminated with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) virus. The Queensland Health Minister, Mr Brian Austin, announced that an investigation was underway to explore any connection between the fatalities and AIDS. All affected babies had received blood from a single donor, a 27-year-old male homosexual, at Brisbane’s Matei Hospital. The donation occurred in February, while the deaths took place in September and October. The suspicion of contaminated blood only emerged in the days prior to the announcement. Samples from the donor's blood have been dispatched to Melbourne for further testing, and efforts are being made to track down any other blood that had previously been donated by the man. Mr Austin referred to the situation as a tragedy, emphasising that it occurred despite the precautions implemented by the Red Cross blood transfusion service to prevent the donation of contaminated blood. In light of the incident, Mr Austin was expected to propose an amendment to the Transplantation and Anatomy Act during a session of State Parliament the same evening. This amendment would introduce severe penalties, including jail sentences and hefty fines, for blood donors who intentionally provide misleading information regarding their eligibility to donate blood.

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