Recent social media posts FALSELY claimed that a person cannot donate blood after receiving a COVID vaccine. One in five (21%) adults surveyed in MD, MO, and NE heard the claim last week, and 30% of those believed it could be true.
Men were more likely to hear the claim than women (29% vs 16%).
You CAN still donate blood after getting a COVID vaccine. The Red Cross follows FDA guidance on blood donation eligibility:
- If you received an FDA-approved vaccine and are symptom-free, you can give blood without a waiting period;
- If you don’t know which vaccine you received, FDA recommends waiting 14 days after your last shot before donating blood. This is in case you received a live-attenuated viral vaccine.
Donating blood after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine does not reduce the donor’s protection from COVID-19. Also, blood from people vaccinated for COVID-19 is safe for transfusion.
St. Louis results were part of a national survey of 420 adults who were asked if they’d heard in the last 7 days that “People who got the COVID vaccine can’t donate blood.” Awareness of the false claim was highest in Maryland (40%), followed by Nebraska (12%), and Missouri (4%).
Community organizations in St. Louis can help encourage donors to set up an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-733-2767. Eligibility requirements for blood and platelet donations can be found here. Share the resources below or visit the Red Cross Messaging Toolkit for additional messaging and graphics.
This week’s report is based on responses from a panel of adult residents of Baltimore, MD (n=175); St. Louis, MO (n=152); and Omaha, NE (n=94) surveyed from Saturday, March 16 to Monday, March 18, 2024. Explore these data and more at iHeardSTL.
Download the graphics below to share about this topic.
Suggested Caption:
Blood donation after COVID vaccination is safe and can help save a person’s life. If the COVID vaccine was ever FDA-approved and you don’t feel sick at the time of your appointment, you can give blood right away. Schedule your appointment at RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.
#iHeardSTL #DonateBlood #COVIDVaccination
Suggested Caption:
Help spread the word: You can donate blood after getting a COVID vaccine. If the vaccine is FDA-approved and you don’t feel sick, you can give blood right away. If you don’t know which vaccine you got, wait 14 days after getting vaccinated.
#iHeardSTL #DonateBlood #COVIDVaccination
