MEDIC updates requirements for blood donors
MEDIC Regional Blood Center has updated donor eligibility requirements per FDA approval.
The FDA recently evaluated blood-donor eligibility criteria and recommended a reduction in deferral time periods for several areas.
MEDIC senior management evaluated and adopted these recommendations:
The following areas are now a three-month deferral after the last date of exposure:
• Tattoo (obtained outside of TN/KY)
• Piercing (no deferral if done by a professional using single-use equipment)
• Needlestick
• Injection of drugs that were not prescribed by a doctor
• Travel to a malaria endemic area
• Males with sexual contact with another male
•Transfusion
In addition, MEDIC has eliminated the deferral period for the following:
Association with a U.S. military base in Europe from 1980–96
Lived in Europe for more than five years (still deferred if in France or Ireland for more than five years from 1980-2001; or three months or more in the UK from 1980-96.
MEDIC is seeing a significant increase in demand for COVID convalescent plasma and is encouraging those who have had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis via confirmed lab test to donate as soon as possible. As a reminder, donors must have had the positive lab test and must be symptom-free for 28 days.
If a donor has any questions about the deferral changes and time periods, they should call 865-524-3074. For more information about the MEDIC Regional Blood Center, please visit the website at medicblood.org.
