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Deferrals

What is a Deferral?

A deferral is when a blood donor is asked to wait for a specified time before donating because they don’t qualify for donation due to various health-related issues.

Deferral from blood donation may either be temporary or permanent.
Fortunately, most deferrals are temporary and donors are encouraged to return at a later date.

Reasons for Deferral May Include:

Not feeling well, sore throat, cold, respiratory infection, flu, cold sore

Can donate when symptom-free

Antibiotics (except antibiotics for acne)

Can donate 7 days after completion of antibiotics course

Acupuncture

No waiting period provided procedure was conducted under sterile conditions

Piercings, tattoos, permanent make-up

Can donate 3 months from the date of tattoo or piercing

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Can donate 3 months following a normal delivery or 3 months following Caesarean Section delivery
Mothers who breastfeed can return to donate once breastfeeding has stopped

Routine dental work

Can donate 1 day after procedure

Complicated dental work

Can donate 3 days following the procedure

Major surgery work

Any procedure that required the donor to stay in hospital for one or more nights
Any procedure where a scope was used, including gastroscopies, colonoscopies, arthroscopies and laparoscopies
Can donate 3 months from the date of procedure, provided there are no complications

Minor Surgery

Any procedure that was performed in the doctor’s rooms or as a day procedure in the hospital
Can donate 2 weeks from the date of the procedure
If you received blood or blood products you may not donate for 3 months from the date of the blood transfusion
PLEASE NOTE: there are exceptions to the above rule (brain and cardiac surgery, etc.) Contact the Donor centre for acceptability criteria

Taking Aspirin

No waiting period for donating whole blood, but you will have to wait 7 days from the last dose of Aspirin before donating platelets

Confirmed Malaria Infection

Can donate 3 years after completion of Malaria treatment

Travelled to a Malaria area in South Africa

Can donate 4 weeks after returning from Malaria area

Grew up in a Malaria area outside South Africa

If the time absent from the area is:

More than 3 years (no visits back to the area), the donor is permitted to donate if they fit all donation criteria
Less than 3 years (the donor has revisited the malaria area within the 3 years even after having donated); they must wait 3 years from the date of return from the Malaria area before they can donate
Donors who grew up in a malaria area outside of South Africa are eligible to donate Source Plasma at any SANBS fixed donor site, provided they meet the SANBS minimum criteria for source plasma donation.

Low iron levels

Waiting period is 3 to 6 months, depending on iron level

Hepatitis

Hepatitis A (yellow jaundice): Can donate 03 months after full recovery.
Confirmed Hepatitis B & C. This is currently a permanent deferral

Donors over the age of 75 years

New donors are now accepted up to 75 years old
Regular donors over the age of 75 years may continue donating blood without a doctor’s letter.
Whole blood donation interval is 80 days for donors aged above 65 years

Medication

In most cases, medication will not disqualify you from blood donation. Inform our clinic staff of any medication you are taking. They will advise on whether you may donate
Alternatively, contact our Customer Service department with the list of medications you are taking. We will advise on whether you can donate. customerservice@sanbs.org.za or 0800 11 90 31

Comprehensive list of deferrals
Click here for a complete list of deferrals

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Deferrals

Reasons for Deferral May Include:

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