Are You Eligible to Donate Life-Saving Blood or Blood Components?
Review the information below to determine your eligibility for various types of donation.
Here are the essential qualifications, depending on your donation type. You can choose to donate whole blood or specific components through a process called apheresis or automation. This process allows one or more specific components of blood (red cells, platelets and/or plasma) to be safely removed through a sterile process and the remaining components are safely returned to you through a sterile process. To learn more about the donation types, visit Learn More About Blood Donation.
Safety note: You cannot contract blood borne pathogens such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS by donating blood.
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More Eligibility Information
Review the information below to determine if there are any conditions, and feel free to review the FDA Required Reading to familiarize yourself before your donation. If you have additional questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please call our Quality Assurance Team at 571-434-3636 or 571-434-3649.
You may not donate blood if you tested positive for or have HIV/AIDS, or participated in events known to increase exposure to the HIV/AIDS virus; tested positive for hepatitis B or C at any time, Hodgkin’s disease, leukemia, lymphoma or malignant melanoma.
Antibiotic Therapy
No wait after last dose and must be physically well and symptom-free on the day of donation
Asthma
No wait if symptom-free at time of donation and controlled with medication
Blood Pressure
No wait if blood pressure is no lower than 90/50 and no higher than 180/100
Cancer
Basal cell & Squamous cell cancer of the skin acceptable after removed and healed; breast cancer in-situ or melanoma in-situ, and cervical cancer in-situ acceptable after treated and healed
Most non-blood cancers – one year wait after completion of treatment with no recurrence; must be symptom-free and released from doctor’s care
COVID-19
COVID-19 Test Results
If you test positive for COVID-19 and are symptomatic, you must wait 10 days after your last symptom before donating.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and are asymptomatic, you must wait 10 days from your positive test.
COVID-19 Vaccine
Question – Which COVID-19 vaccines are acceptable for blood donation?
Answer - If you have received a COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, or AstraZeneca you are still eligible to give blood with no deferral period.
At this time, if you have received any other COVID-19 vaccine, this will be considered an investigational vaccine and will require a 14 day deferral for blood donation.
COVID-19 Travel
If you have traveled outside of the United States, please wait 14 days before donating.
Dental Care
Acceptable immediately after routine procedures (cleanings; fillings); 72-hour wait after root canal or surgery
Diabetes
No wait when controlled by diet or medication
Heart Attack History
One year wait after heart attack – must have been medically evaluated and released; must currently be without any symptoms, limitations or restrictions in normal daily activities and not on medications for heart disease other than aspirin and blood pressure medications
Hemoglobin/Iron
Males 13.0 g/dl; Females 12.5g/dl
Immunizations (shots)
Allergy or flu vaccines are acceptable with no wait period if symptom-free; hepatitis B vaccine – 14 day wait; others 24 hours to four week waiting period
COVID-19 Vaccine
Question – Which COVID-19 vaccines are acceptable for blood donation?
Answer - If you have received a COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, or AstraZeneca you are still eligible to give blood with no deferral period.
At this time, if you have received any other COVID-19 vaccine, this will be considered an investigational vaccine and will require a 14 day deferral for blood donation.
Malarial Area Travel
Three month wait after return from visiting malaria endemic area (for any period less than five years) or three year wait after having lived in an area with malaria risk for five years or more
Piercing (ear/body)
No wait when received in a professional setting with sterile single-use equipment
Three month wait after an accidental needle stick or any other non-sterile skin penetration
Pulse
No lower than 50 beats per minute and no greater than 100 beats per minute
Pregnancy
Six week wait after vaginal delivery or pregnancy loss; six month wait after C-section
Seizures
Six months wait after last seizure and symptom-free
Sickle Cell Trait
No wait if you are feeling healthy and well on the date of your donation
Surgery
2 to 24 week wait depending on type of surgery. Must have healed surgical wound, resumed normal activity and been released from doctor’s care
Tattoo/Permanent Make-up
No wait when received in a state-regulated facility using sterile single-use equipment. The tattoo site must be properly healed.
Three month wait when received in District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Wyoming and outside of the United States.
Travel
Visited or lived in any country with malaria risk (please see “Malarial Area Travel” above)
COVID-19 Travel Eligibility
If you have traveled outside of the United States, please wait 14 days before donating.
Transfusions
If you have received a transfusion of blood or a blood product, you must wait 3 months from the transfusion date prior to donating.
European Travel/Residence
**The updated guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration removes the deferral recommendations associated with the geographic risk of vCJD:
• for time spent in the UK from 1980-1996;
• time spent in France and Ireland from 1980-2001; and
• recipients of a blood transfusion in the UK, France, or Ireland from 1980-present.
Permanent deferrals remain in place for donors who volunteer the following information:
• suspected of having vCJD, CJD or any other transmissible spongiform encephalopathies;
• those who have a blood relative diagnosed with familial prion disease; or
• those who received cadaveric pituitary human growth hormone
Questions?
If you have additional questions regarding your eligibility to donate blood, please call our Quality Assurance Team at
571-434-3636 or 571-434-3649.