key points
![key points for covid-19]()
- Blood is a critical resource. For additional questions regarding eligibility, click here.
- Blood donation is safe during COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to review a study done by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
donor eligibility
DO NOT GIVE BLOOD IF:
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You are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
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You are waiting for COVID-19 test result due to exposure or symptoms.
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If you were diagnosed with COVID-19 via a positive test result in the last 10 days even if no symptoms or illness occurred. Wait 10 days after symptom recovery to donate.
Vaccination Criteria: COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are encouraged for all donors and do not impact eligibility to donate.
Please note: COVID-19 vaccinations are required for ImpactLife staff and volunteers unless they have an approved exemption. Boosters are strongly encouraged.
If you decide not to donate because of this information, please call us at 800-747-5401. We will determine when you will be able to give blood.
Are we testing blood donations for COVID-19?
There are no donor screening tests available for this virus. All donors are screened for symptoms of illness prior to donation. There is no evidence this virus (SARS-CoV-2) can be transmitted by a transfusion, nor has there been with the two related viruses, SARS-1 and MERS-CoV that have caused epidemics since 2000.
- In our pre-donation Medical History Questionnaire, we ask “Are you feeling healthy and well today?”
- In our pre-donation mini-physical, we assess the donor’s body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, and hemoglobin level
Donors who aren’t feeling well or exhibit symptoms of respiratory illness are asked not to present and are deferred from donation.
COVID-19 vaccines and the blood supply
Blood providers across the U.S. have received questions about the safety of receiving a blood transfusion from donors who have received a vaccine for COVID-19. Typically, we are asked: Do you separate blood donations into categories of “vaccinated” and “unvaccinated?”
Blood donations are not classified by a donor’s vaccination status given the absence of risk for transmitting COVID-19 or possible vaccine side effects.
Each year, millions of individuals rely on blood transfusions to treat acute care needs such as trauma as well as for ongoing disease management. The blood community's top priority is maintaining the safety and adequacy of the blood supply on behalf of these patients. ImpactLife maintains a position of ongoing hemovigilance – watching for threats that may pose a risk to the safety of the blood supply. As such, we join blood providers nationwide to continually watch for new evidence of negative treatment outcomes that would warrant a change to our current practice.
For more information, please read:
For additional information
PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES
Industry Groups