Just reading a thread about some youngsters planning an 8-month sojourn in europe, working when possible - teaching English, etc.

Made me wonder if European blood banks pay for plasma like many in the U.S. do in storefronts in poorer areas?

Certainly not in the UK.

No blood is donated (ie given for free) in Europe. And it wouldn't be accepted from Non- citizens without being tested for HIV, and various varieties of Hep. I can't give blood in the Netherlands, because of my British background and the risk of Madcow disease. (OK I am a mad cow sometimes but that's not from eating British Beef )

>pay for plasma
You get a free and yummy food basket here and a blood test . What more can you want.

Well most blood here is also donated via blood drives, etc.

But there always seems to be a shortage and thus the buying plasma or blood from poor folks

Perhaps Europe uses less blood or perhaps donors are more generous?

I wonder if travelers should carry a bag or two of their own blood around for emergencies?

Carry-on or 22" wheelie?

And will they laugh in Paris if I don't have the shoes to match?

They did 20+ years ago, or so I've heard.

Well i've heard to professional bike racers often do carry their own blood around

I don't trust blood/plasma anywhere. Bad, bad history and there's the high likelihood of bad stuff in the supply right now that will only be identified in the future. I'm glad that the current sentiment is to be somewhat more cautious on this but I believe safety surrounding this issue will be one of the big issues for the next ten years in biopharma.

Having said that the EU stance on blood/blood products is more cautious than the US.

> wonder if travelers should carry a bag or two of their own blood around for emergencies?

Carry-on or 22" wheelie?<

Can't carry on unless it's in 3 oz containers that fit in a 1 qt ziplok bag.

"What is in this bag, please"?
"It is 10 containers of blood".
"Please step out of line".

I can't help but wonder what the jump was from teaching English to blood banks?

While the regular blood donor does not get more than a snack from the Red Cross centers or similar, commercial blood banks offer a compensation for plasma of € 15-30 per donation in Germany.

Even though you can donate or sell plasma more often than blood, I doubt that it will add a lot to a traveller's budget.