Can You Donate Blood After Receiving A Flu Shot

Can You Donate Blood After A Covid

Amy Isler, RN, MSN, CSN, is a registered nurse with over six years of patient experience. She is a credentialed school nurse in California.

Daniella Amato is a biomedical scientist and fact checker with expertise in pharmaceuticals and clinical research.

Does Donated Blood Stay On The Shelf Indefinitely Until It Is Used

No. Each unit of whole blood is separated into several components. Red blood cells may be stored under refrigeration for a maximum of 42 days, or frozen for up to 10 years. Platelets are stored at room temperature and may be kept for a maximum of five to seven days. Fresh frozen plasma is kept in a stored frozen state for up to one year. Cryoprecipitated AHF is stored frozen for up to one year. Granulocytes must be transfused within 24 hours of donation.

Other products manufactured from blood include albumin, immune globulin, specific immune globulins, and clotting factor concentrates. Commercial manufacturers commonly produce these blood products.

Surgery Or Minor Illnesses

Donors are required to feel well at the time of donation, so a cold, flu or allergies may temporarily prevent someone from donating. Donors must wait at least 24 hours for many minor surgeries, including dental work. Donors should rely on our screening process to determine surgery or illness deferrals. Many times the blood center medical director may make this determination.

Read Also: How To Treat Flu While Pregnant

If I Was Deferred Once Before Am I Still Ineligible To Donate

Your blood donor center will inform you if you are permanently deferred or temporarily deferred. The deferral time depends upon the reason for deferral. Prior to each donation, you will be given a mini-physical and medical interview. At that time, it will be determined if you are eligible to donate blood on that day.

Tattoos And Body Piercing

People who received a tattoo at a state-licensed and regulated facility in Florida or South Carolina are now eligible to donate once the area has healed. People who received a tattoo at a non-regulated facility or outside of Florida or South Carolina must wait 12-months before they can donate.

People who received any type of body piercing done with single use equipment in Florida or South Carolina are now eligible to donate once the area has healed. All other types of piercings require a 12-month wait before donating.

Don’t Miss: How To Break The Flu

What Does The Term Donor Deferral Mean

Donor deferral means that an individual is not eligible to donate based on the current requirements. This waiting period is necessary to protect the health and safety of both the donor and the patient who receives the donated blood.

In the United States, blood collectors follow donor eligibility criteria based on requirements of the Food and Drug Administration, AABB Standards, and their own local policies. The medical director of the blood donor center has ultimate authority to establish a more stringent deferral policy based on their clinical judgement as a physician.

The period of time a person will not be eligible to donate depends on the specific reason for deferral. After the deferral period ends, a donor can return to the blood donor center to be reevaluated and resume donation if all donor eligibility criteria are met.

AABBs donor deferral resource explains some of the most common reasons for deferral. Contact your local blood collector for specific questions about your eligibility.

Blood Donation And Covid

If youre confused about how your COVID-19 status might affect your eligibility to donate blood or platelets, youre not alone.

For instance, can you donate blood if you recently got a COVID-19 vaccine or a booster shot? How about if youve recently recovered from COVID-19?

For answers, we went to Fernando Martinez, M.D., a pathologist who serves as medical director of MD Andersons Transfusion Services and Donor Operations. Heres what he had to say.

Can you donate blood if youve recently gotten a COVID-19 vaccine or a booster shot?

That depends on two things:

If you received one of the FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccines made by Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen/Johnson & Johnson, theres no need to wait to donate blood or platelets, provided youve experienced no side effects. Some people experience COVID-19-like symptoms such as fever, rash, or body aches after being vaccinated. So, if youre one of those individuals, youll need to wait.

Thats because feeling well and healthy is actually a prerequisite to donating blood at any time. In fact, its one of the very first things our screeners ask potential blood donors. The reason is that if youre not feeling well, you could be fighting off any number of infections yourself. And you wouldnt want to inadvertently pass one of those along to a cancer patient whos already immunocompromised.

Again, that depends.

Also Check: How Young To Get Flu Shot

Are The History Questions Necessary Every Time I Donate

Yes, since this helps to ensure the safest possible blood supply. All donors must be asked the screening questions at each donation. Both AABB and FDA regulations specifically require that all blood donors complete the donor history questionnaire on the day of donation and prior to donating.

If you are a frequent blood donor, you may qualify to use an abbreviated Donor History Questionnaire. Ask if this option is available at your blood donor center and whether you qualify to use it.

Deferral Periods For Vaccinations Before Donating Blood Or Plasma

If you have recently been vaccinated, you may be temporarily deferred from donating blood or plasma. Review our full list of deferral periods for vaccinations below.

Read Also: Different Kinds Of Flu Vaccine

How Blood Centers Keep Blood Donations Safe

Blood donations already undergo strict safety measures. Before each donation, donors are asked about their health to ensure they are eligible to donate.

There are a number of health conditions and circumstances that will cause most blood donation centers to decline a donation. For example, you generally cant give blood if:

• you have an active infection
• you have any type of hepatitis or live with someone who does
• youve ever had or have ever been exposed to Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
• youve been treated for malaria in the last 3 years or have been exposed to malaria in the past 3 months
• youve traveled to certain countries or areas recently
• you take certain medications
• youve recently gotten a tattoo
• you have certain viral conditions

These regulations help blood donation centers keep blood safe before the blood draw begins.

When You Should Not Donate Blood

Although giving blood is a great way to help those that are facing critical health situations, there are certain criteria that disqualify someone from donating blood either temporarily or permanently.

The World Health Organization advises that you should not donate blood if you:

• Are sick with the flu, sore throat, cold, or other infection
• Have had minor dental work done, you must wait 24 hours before donating
• Have recently traveled to a country with a high risk of mosquito-borne infections
• Have engaged in at risk sexual behavior in the last 12 months
• Tested positive for HIV

Recommended Reading: Best Prescribed Medicine For The Flu

Flu Vaccine And Blood Donation Both Help Save Lives

According to medical experts, this year its more important than ever for people to get the flu vaccine. This is to help keep the country as healthy as possible to avoid the COVID-19 pandemic from overlapping with a flu epidemic. A severe flu season could compound ongoing challenges to maintaining a sufficient supply of blood products for hospital patients in need due to COVID-19. Blood drives have been canceled in unprecedented numbers during this pandemic as organizations, businesses and schools have temporarily closed or restricted access to these community locations where drives are held for the public

TAKE CARE OF ONE ANOTHER

Get the flu vaccine this year to help protect the nation from the virus but also to ensure that patients continue to have access to lifesaving blood products. The vaccine can be administered by a flu shot or intranasal. Neither are cause for a blood donation deferral and there is no risk of transmitting the influenza virus after receiving the vaccine.

For those that have the flu, it is important to wait until they no longer exhibit flu symptoms, have recovered completely and feel well before attempting to donate. All blood donors must feel healthy and well on the day of donation.

Individuals can find more information about preventing the flu on redcross.org, as well as receive guidance on the flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

DONATING BLOOD IS SAFE

About the American Red Cross:

Can Blood From A Vaccinated Donor Or Someone Who Has Had Covid

The COVID-19 vaccine wont transfer during a blood donation. A blood donation isnt an effective way to get a COVID-19 vaccine. The blood you receive during a transfusion only contains red blood cells. Red blood cells dont contain any antibodies.

The antibodies your body makes that know how to fight COVID-19 after a vaccine are located in plasma. This means youd need a plasma transfusion to receive COVID-19-fighting antibodies.

However, even a plasma transfusion is not a substitute for your own COVID-19 vaccine. Plasma transfusions are sometimes used to fight COVID-19, but theyre not meant to be used as a preventive measure.

The antibodies from blood transfusions or plasma transfusions from a vaccinated donor arent enough to provide COVID-19 immunity.

Read Also: Flu Type B Vs A

When Can I Donate Blood After Receiving A Covid

The Red Cross is following FDA blood donation eligibility guidance for those who receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Deferral times for donations may vary depending on which brand of vaccine you received. If youve received a COVID-19 vaccine, youll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate. In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation.

• The following eligibility guidelines apply to each COVID-19 vaccine received, including boosters: There is no deferral time for eligible blood donors who are vaccinated with a non-replicating inactivated or RNA-based COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, Janssen/J& J, Moderna, Novavax, or Pfizer.
• Eligible blood donors who received a live attenuated COVID-19 vaccine or do not know what type of COVID-19 vaccine they received must wait two weeks before giving blood.
• If you have an appointment scheduled and need to change your donation date based on the above guidance, .

If you have further eligibility questions, please call . Regardless, of the type of vaccine an individual receives, all donors must be symptom-free and feeling well at the time of donation. If an individual is experiencing any symptoms from the COVID-19 vaccine, the Red Cross asks that they postpone their donation until they are feeling better.

What This Means For You

If you are healthy and feeling well, there is no reason you can’t donate blood after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit our coronavirus news page.

Don’t Miss: What Religion Does Not Allow The Flu Shot

More Information On Eligibility To Donate

National eligibility guidelines must be followed when people donate blood in the blood service in specific countries. To find out whether any health conditions, medications, professions or travel history to could affect your ability to give blood, please search for detailed information in the national/local blood services.

Can You Donate Blood If You’re Having Side Effects From The Covid

Nope. The American Red Cross specifically says that you must be symptom-free and feeling well at the time you donate.

If you have a donation appointment scheduled and you happen to get your COVID-19 vaccine right beforehand, it’s not a bad idea to push back your donation, just in case, infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told Health. “I would recommend waiting,”said Dr. Adalja. “The fatigue you might get from the vaccine could be compounded by giving blood.” Also, if you do have other side effects, you’ll need to reschedule.

Read Also: Is It Safe To Get The Flu Shot While Breastfeeding

Safety Precautions To Keep In Mind

If you plan to donate blood, its important to know that theres no risk of getting the COVID-19 infection from the procedure. But there are a few precautions you should keep in mind. Dont donate if you have:

• Tested positive for COVID-19 with or without symptoms in the last 14 days
• Had to self-quarantine in the last 14 days
• Had COVID-19 symptoms in the last 14 days

If you have side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine, wait until they go away.

Contact your blood donation center if you develop COVID-19 symptoms after youve given blood. This will prevent the spread of infection.

Things To Know Before You Donate Blood

In order to donate whole blood, youll need to:

• Be in good health and feeling well.
• Be at least 16 years old in most states.
• Weigh at least 110 pounds.
• Wait 56 days after each blood donation.

Continued

Eligibility requirements may differ if you want to donate only platelets or plasma. For example, you can donate platelets every 7 days for up to 24 times a year, and you need to be at least 17 years old.

In some cases, you cant donate blood based on certain health issues or your travel history. Common reasons include:

• Having the flu or a cold or not feeling well on the day of the donation. Make another appointment after youre feeling better.
• Taking certain prescription medications such as blood thinners. Most over-the-counter drugs are fine. If youre not sure, ask your doctor.
• Having low iron levels.
• Traveling to or living in malaria-risk countries within a certain period of time before your donation. Check with your local blood donation center about when youre next eligible.

If youre planning to donate blood but youre not sure if youre healthy enough, ask your doctor. You can also contact blood drive centers like the American Red Cross at 800-RED CROSS to check if youre eligible.

You May Like: Medicare Reimbursement For Flu Vaccine

You Can Give Blood After Getting Flu Shot And Covid

With respiratory illnesses already spreading as temperatures cool, the American Red Cross is sharing this important reminder its okay to give blood after getting a flu shot or a COVID-19 vaccine or booster.

Receiving a flu shot or a COVID-19 vaccine or booster is a great way to protect your own health. It causes no wait period and does not affect blood donation eligibility, as long as you are healthy, feeling well and symptom free at the time of donation.

While the need for blood and platelet donations is constant, a severe cold and flu season can result in fewer donations if many become sick and need to postpone a blood donation until they are well. According to health officials, both influenza and COVID-19 cases are expected to surge simultaneously this winter. They warn 100 million Americans equivalent to nearly a third of the countrys population could get COVID-19 infections in the coming fall and winter. That number could be even higher if a new variant enters the scene. With an increase in flu cases already being seen in some communities, more healthy individuals will be needed to roll up a sleeve to donate.

Its particularly important during the fall and winter months, when we see an increase in cold and flu cases, that those who are in good health share their good health by giving blood, said Dr. Baia Lasky for the American Red Cross.

About the American Red Cross:

Do Blood Donation Centers Test Donors For Covid

No. However, blood donation centers will ask donors about their health and any current symptoms before accepting a donation. Additionally, donors will have their blood pressure, pulse, and temperature taken before a donation.

Any donor who is showing signs of infection or illness will not be allowed to donate blood.

You May Like: Medicine That Starts With O For Flu

Can I Donate After Receiving A Covid

As COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed throughout the U.S., what does this mean for blood donors? Great news: if you receive the vaccine, you can still donate blood, platelets and AB Elite plasma! Donating blood is essential to help save lives and support the efforts of those on the frontlines of the pandemic.

Can I Donate Blood After Receiving A Flu Shot

Save Lives with St. Catharine of Siena Church!

Mon, 05 – Sat, 10 Dec, 2022

St. Catharine of Siena Church has generously adopted Mon, December 5 Sat, December 10 to host blood drives at

Save Lives with Northstar United Methodist Church

Mon, 05 – Sat, 10 Dec, 2022

Northstar United Methodist Churchhas generously adopted Mon, December 5 Sat, December 10 to host blood drives at MKBCs Reading

Save Lives with Classic Harley Davidson!

Sat, 03 – Sat, 10 Dec, 2022

Miller-Keystone Blood Center is proud to have Classic Harley Davidson as the Community Partner for our Reading Donor Center!

Andrew Squishy Bosco

It was June of 2021 when our world changed drastically. And not for the better. Our 14 month old son,

Sofia Groves

Wed like you to meet a very special young lady named Sofia, and wed like to thank Sofia and her

Jerry Block

My first blood transfusion was in 1989, when I underwent heart surgery. Since that time, I have been in the

Also Check: Flu Season In The Us