Vaccination

Most common prophylactic vaccines do not prevent blood donation. Vaccines that are safe with regard to donation include coronavirus vaccine, pneumococcal vaccine and vaccines against whooping cough, influenza, tetanus, diphtheria, polio, hepatitis A and tick-borne encephalitis.

Having a vaccination against hepatitis B prevents you from donating blood for four weeks.

Some of the preventive vaccines include attenuated pathogens. Such examples include vaccines against chickenpox, measles, yellow fever and shingles. If you are vaccinated with a vaccine that includes live viruses you must wait for four weeks before you can donate blood.

Also, possible strong reactions to the vaccination (severe pain, fever or rash) mean you have to wait for two days after the symptoms have ended before you can donate blood.

If the vaccine is given after exposure to a specific illness (e.g. after an animal bite), this creates a longer obstacle to donation than a normal prophylactic vaccination.

Would you like more information? Please call the free information number for blood donors on 0800 0 5801 (Mon to Fri from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.).