Restrictions

Dear blood donor,

Here are some of the most common health conditions and diseases that temporarily or permanently rule out donating blood. Consider these restrictions only if you are completely certain about your disease or condition; otherwise get a diagnosis.

If you have any concerns about your health or can’t find an answer to your question, be sure to consult a Blood Centre medical staff on tel. 617 009 or 617 3041 during regular Blood Centre hours (Monday and Friday from 8:00-16:00 and from Tuesday to Thursday from 11:00 to 19:00).

DENTAL CARE

Dental care if no complications, donations can be made 24 hours after treatment
Tooth extraction donations can be made 1 week after treatment
Periodontitis, gingivitis donations can be made 2 week after treatment
Stomatitis (inflammation of the mouth or lips) donations can be made 2 week after treatment
Outpatient dental procedure donations can be made 1 month after treatment

DISEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Bronchitis donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Bronchial asthma donations  not allowed if needs regular treatment; if regular treatment not required – donations can be made  1 month after using medication and symptom resolution
Cold (cough, sore throat) donations can be made 2 weeks after recovery
Flu donations can be made 2 weeks after recovery
COVID-19                                                                 donations can be made 2 weeks after resolution of symptoms or a negative RNA  test. If a donor has been exposed to a person with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, donations can be made 14 days after contact with the patient.
Pneumonia donations can be made 6 months after recovery
Cold (no sore throat or cough) donations can be made 1 week after recovery
Sinus infection donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Tonsillitis, angina donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Tuberculosis donations can be made 2 years after being declared disease-free

TUMOURS

Benign tumour donations can be made after recovery, decided on a case-by-case basis
Malignant tumour donations not allowed

DISEASEAS OF THE REPRODUCTIVE AND URINARY SYSTEM

Prostatitis donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Bladder infection without fever donations can be made 2 weeks after recovery
Bladder infection with fever (hospitalized) donations can be made 3 months after recovery
Ovarian infection and infection of the Fallopian tubes donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Kidney infection (pyelitis) donations can be made 12 months after recovery, attending doctor’s opinion

EAR DISEASES 

Ear infection without discharge donations can be made 2 weeks after recovery
Ear infection with discharge donations can be made 1 month after recovery

SKIN DISEASES

Acute allergic rash donations allowed once rash subsides
Acne If Roaccutane was administered, donations allowed 1 month after treatment completed
Atopic dermatitis donations allowed in mild cases if needle insertion site unaffected
Eczema donations not allowed if condition affects the needle insertion site
Psoriasis donations can be made if donor asymptomatic, without severe complications and not required systemic immunemodulatory therapy
Removal of birthmarks, papillomata donations can be made 2 weeks after surgery

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Borreliosis  donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Tick-borne encephalitis  donations can be made 1 year after recovery
Hepatitis A  donations can be made 1 year after recovery
Hepatitis B  donations not allowed
Hepatitis C  donations not allowed
Sexual contact with person with hepatitis B or C or carriers of virus markers donations not allowed; if 4 months has passed since the last sexual contact, donations allowed if tests are negative
Direct contact with hepatitis patients at home donations can be made 4 months after the last contact
Herpes zoster (shingles)  donations can be made 2 weeks after recovery
Herpes simplex (cold sores) donations can be made 1 week after recovery
HIV (AIDS) donations not allowed
Sexual contact with HIV positive person donations not allowed; if 4 months has passed since the last sexual contact, donations allowed if tests are negative
Papilloma virus allowed, if being monitored and patient does not need treatment; if treatment active, decision is made by doctor on a case by case basis
Mycoplasma infection donations can be made 4 months after recovery
Toxoplasmosis donations can be made 6 months after recovery
Tuberculosis donations can be made 2 years after being declared disease-free

OPERATIONS AND TRAUMAS

OPERATIONS
Appendectomy
Cholecystectomy

Spinal operations
Joint operations
Endoscopic operations
donations can be made 4 months after treatment
Tonsillectomy
Nose and ear cavity operations
Eye operations (other than laser)                                               
donations can be made 2 months after treatment
Partial removal of stomach or colon donations not allowed
Major operations,
Open abdomen surgery
donations can be made 6 months after treatment, if there are no contraindications related to disease
Laser eye operation donations can be made 1 month after treatment
Polytraumas donations can be made 1 year after recovery
Removal of birthmarks, papillomata donations can be made 2 weeks after surgery
BONE FRACTURES
Home treatment
Simple fractures of limbs
– hand and foot fractures
– rib fractures
donations can be made 2 months after recovery
Hospitalized donations can be made 4 months after recovery

TRAVEL RELATED RESTRICTIONS

Travellers to area affected by the West Nile Virus (US, Mexico, Canada, EU and neighbouring countries, see complete list HERE) donations allowed 28 days after departure from area where there is persistent risk of the virus being transmitted to people
restriction applies to travel to the EU and neighbouring countries from June to November and in the case of the US and Mexico, year round
Travellers to malaria zones (see list HERE) donations can be made 12 months after departure from affected region

PREGNANCY AND POST-PARTUM PERIOD

Abortion donations can be made 6 months after recovery
Pregnancy donations not allowed
Breast-feeding not allowed during nursing period
Childbirth donations can be made 6 months after recovery

MEDICINES

Analgesics (aspirin, ibuprofen etc) Use of analgesics (including aspirin-containing painkillers) will not prevent you from giving blood, if you limit intake to one or two tablets for temporary conditions and there are no other contraindications
Antibiotics donations can be made 2 weeks after the end of the course , if there are no other contraindications
Birth control donations allowed
Hormonal replacement therapy during menopause donations allowed
Antidepressants donations allowed if feel well
Roaccutane, Accutane donations can be made 1 month after ending use of the medicine
Medicines for heart problems donations not allowed
Cardiac glycosides donations not allowed
Hormonal preparations donations can be made 1 month after discontinuing the medicines
Growth hormones donations not allowed
Cholesterol lowering drugs decided on a case-by-case basis
Antihypertensive whole blood donations allowed if treatment have been started at least two weeks before donating, blood pressure is stable and within normal limits; apheresis procedures are not allowed
Radioactive iodine donations can be made 1 year after discontinuing treatment
Gold compounds donations not allowed
Mild hypnotics, sedatives donations allowed
Antacids donations allowed if no other contraindications
Laxatives donations allowed
Antiemetics and antinausea drugs donations allowed
Diabetes drugs donations allowed
Radiocontrast agents (containing iodine) donations allowed 2 weeks after discontinuing drug if no other contraindications
Oral treatment for fungal diseases donations can be made 1 month after ending use of the medicines
Epilepsy drugs donations not allowed; in case of treated epilepsy can donate if 3 years off treatment and free of attacks
Antihistamine (anti-allergy) drugs donations allowed if currently no allergy symptoms
ADHD drugs (containing methylphenidate)       donations can be made 1 week after ending use of the medicine

DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE ORGANS

Gastritis donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Acute stomach and duodenal ulcer donations can be made 6 months after recovery
Chronic stomach and duodenal ulcer donations not allowed
Acute cholecystitis donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Chronic cholecystitis donations not allowed

ENDOCRINE AND METABOLIC DISEASES

Hypothyroidism in case  compensated with L-Thyroxine donations can  be made  if the medication daily dose has not be changed for the last 6 months
Diabetes donations not allowed

INTESTINAL INFECTIONS

Mild diarrhoea donations can be made 1 week after recovery
Dysentery donations can be made 1 month after recovery
Salmonella donations allowed 2 week after recovery and negative results on follow-up tests

STDs

Genital herpes donations can be made 4 months after recovery from first infection; donations allowed 2 weeks after recovery in the case of later flare-ups
Gonorrhoea donations can be made 4 months after recovery
Chlamydia donations can be made 4 months after recovery
Genital warts donations can be made 4 months after recovery
Mycoplasma infection donations can be made 4 months after recovery
Syphilis donations not allowed
Urea plasma infection donations can be made 4 months after recovery

VACCINATIONS

BCG, yellow fever, rubella, measles, mumps, polio (oral vaccine), attenuated typhoid vaccine, attenuated cholera vaccine donations can be made 4 weeks after vaccination if the donor is healthy
Hepatitis B donations can be made 2 weeks after vaccination if the donor is healthy
Cholera, inactivated antigen vaccine for typhoid donations allowed if donor is healthy
Diphtheria, tetanus
hepatitis A
tick-borne encephalitis
papilloma virus
donations allowed if donor is healthy
Influenza, polio (injected), Japanese encephalitis donations allowed if donor is healthy
Cervical cancer (HPV vaccine) donations allowed if donor is healthy
COVID-19 vaccination (vaccination with a killed virus, a vaccine based on a non-reproducible viral vector, a component vaccine or a mRNA vaccine) donations allowed if donor is healthy
Rabies donations allowed if donor is healthy. If the patient was bitten by a rabid animal, donations prohibited for one year

DISEASES OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM

Hypertension donations can be made if  no complications and  blood pressure is mediated by the drug therapy  (started at least 2 weeks ago) stable and within the norm
Myocarditis donations can be made 2 years after treatment
Cardiac infarction (heart attack) donations not allowed
Recurring venous thrombosis donations not allowed

PATHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE BLOOD, HAEMOPOIESIS AND IMMUNE SYSTEM MECHANISMS

Chronic anaemia donations not allowed
Rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, lupus, dermatomyositis donations not allowed

RESTRICTIONS FOR OTHER REASONS

Menstruation donating blood during painful or heavy bleeding menstruation is not recommended
Skin and mucous membrane piercing, tattooing donations can be made 4 months after the procedure
Acupuncture if non-disposable needles were used, donations can be made 4 months after acupuncture
Tick bite donations can be made 2 months after bite
Injured skin or mucous membrane (including that of sexual partners) exposed to another person’s blood donations can be made 4 months after the last contact