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Some have raised questions about plasma donation during the coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. For example, if you’re a regular donor, you’ve probably heard false reports that you can’t donate if you get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Also, if you have contracted severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, you may have heard of the need for convalescent plasma donation. Convalescent plasma contains antibodies from certain diseases that can help fight those diseases.
Your body makes antibodies when you respond to and recover from an infection. This is why if you have recovered from COVID-19, you have COVID-19 antibodies and this is why you may have heard about donating COVID-19 convalescent plasma.
You also develop COVID-19 antibodies when you receive the COVID-19 vaccine. What does this mean for donating convalescent plasma? Read on to find out more.
A COVID-19 vaccination does not prevent you from donating plasma. You can donate after a vaccination. You can also donate if you have received a COVID-19 vaccination.
After your COVID-19 vaccination, there are only a few requirements to be observed. You must be symptom-free and healthy on the day of your donation.
You also need to know which company made the vaccine you received and provide the plasma donation center with its name. Your vaccination card contains this information. The three vaccines available in the United States are:
- Pfizer BioNTech
- modern
- Johnson&Johnson
If you do not know who made the vaccine you received, you must wait 2 weeks before donating plasma.
There are some misconceptions about waiting times for donations after a COVID-19 vaccination. This is due to confusion about the different types of plasma donation.
As long as you don’t have any COVID-19 symptoms, feel healthy, and know the name of your vaccine manufacturer, you don’t have to wait after your COVID-19 vaccination to donate standard plasma. However, this is not the case with other types of plasma donation.
During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a demand for both standard and convalescent plasma. Convalescent plasma contains high levels of antibodies to certain diseases.
Plasma donation centers can accept COVID-19 convalescent plasma from you if you have recovered from COVID-19 or have received a COVID-19 vaccination. If you have received a COVID-19 vaccination that
Currently, neither the American Red Cross nor the National Institutes of Health collect plasma from COVID-19 convalescents. The COVID-19 vaccine and the overall reduction in COVID-19 hospitalizations have helped reduce the need for plasma donation from convalescents.
Standard plasma donations are the only donations currently required. You don’t have to wait to donate standard plasma after your COVID-19 vaccination.
You can donate plasma without a COVID-19 vaccination even if you have had COVID-19. As long as you have fully recovered from COVID-19, you can donate. Plasma donation centers are considered fully recovered after at least 28 symptom-free days.
Plasma donation is more time-consuming than normal blood donation. At most plasma donation centers, a donation takes at least an hour.
The exact time depends on the center and its policies. The American Red Cross states that an average plasma donation at one of its locations takes 1 hour and 15 minutes.
There are also usually regulations about how often you can donate plasma. This may be once a month, once every 2 weeks, or at some other specified frequency depending on the center. Some centers might also compensate you financially for your time and donation.
The process of donating plasma is similar to other blood donations.
- A nurse or phlebotomist (a health care professional who collects blood samples for testing, transfusions, or donations) will find a vein and insert a needle into your arm.
- The needle is attached to a tube that transports your blood into a machine.
- The machine separates the plasma from your blood cells. That takes the most time.
- Your blood will be collected and returned to your body with sterile saline while your plasma is stored.
In general, you can read, talk on the phone, study, or do other activities during your donation as long as you don’t move your arm or remove the needle.
Plasma donation helps with life-saving treatments. The antibodies and other proteins found in plasma can help fight infection, clot blood, and treat injuries. It’s a great way to help others, especially if you’re healthy and have time to donate.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of confusing information about how vaccinations affect your ability to donate plasma. The truth is, you can still donate after you’ve been vaccinated. As long as you are symptom-free and know the name of your vaccine manufacturer, you can donate plasma without waiting.
You can also donate plasma if you’ve had COVID-19, even if you haven’t been vaccinated. You can donate as long as you have fully recovered and have been symptom-free for 28 days.
If you’re concerned that your COVID-19 vaccination or booster or SARS-CoV-2 infection means you won’t be able to donate plasma, don’t worry. You can donate plasma again as long as you feel healthy and have no COVID-19 symptoms.
It’s a good idea to call your plasma donation center to find out what COVID-19 safety measures they have in place, e.g. such as wearing a mask or providing recent negative test results. But your vaccination or past infection will not hold you back.
