Eligibility

You must be between the ages of 18-69 years to be eligible to donate plasma.

You are ineligible for one day if under the influence (evidenced by breath odor or behavior). If there is a history of alcoholism or chronic alcohol abuse, the donor will not be considered until they have been clean and sober for four (4) months or more.

When taking oral antibiotics, you are not eligible to donate plasma until your prescribed antibiotics and condition are resolved. You are also not eligible to donate if you have a current infection.

If you have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation, you are not eligible to donate plasma while on medication, even if the arrhythmia is controlled and/or you are asymptomatic. If a remote history exists and you are no longer on medications, you may resume donation with written confirmation from your personal healthcare provider regarding the specific diagnosis, cessation of medication, and return to normal rhythm.

There are multiple bleeding disorders that can be diagnosed, any/all bleeding disorders are not accepted for plasma donation.

Anyone who is currently pregnant or has had a pregnancy or termination at any stage of the pregnancy in the last six months is not eligible to donate. After childbirth, donors are asked to wait 6 months before returning to donate.

After a pregnancy loss or termination, donors are asked to wait 6 months. This time allows for a wellness check to ensure no other complications have occurred.

Breastfeeding is accepted if you are 6 months postpartum.

Individuals who use cannabis may not be eligible to donate for 30 days if, after evaluation by medical staff, it is determined that the donor is under the influence while at the donor center. At the time of donation, donors must not be intoxicated as this prevents us from obtaining informed consent. If there is a history of drug addiction or chronic drug abuse, donors will be deferred until clean and sober for four (4) months or more.

For medical marijuana, donors will be deferred until the donor provides written documentation from the treating physician that the medication has been discontinued.

Donations are accepted with a history of certain types of cancer. You must be at least 5 years from curative treatment and in remission during that period. For skin and cervical cancers, the cancer must be in situ (localized), and a letter from a physician or specialist indicating the above and your suitability to donate plasma must be presented.

If you’ve undergone treatment for a flare-up within the past seven days, you’re ineligible to donate until seven days after your symptoms have cleared. Similarly, if you’re experiencing a flare-up or attack presently, you must wait seven days after resolution before donating.

If you are positive for COVID-19 and have symptoms, you must wait 14 days after the complete resolution of fever, cough, shortness of breath and improvement of any other symptoms. If you are positive for COVID-19 and do not have symptoms, you must wait 14 days after the positive test.

You must wait 4 months after a colonoscopy or a flexible endoscopy. For a rigid endoscopy, you will be deferred until you are fully recovered and the results of the endoscopy are known.

Anyone with a diagnosis of Crohn’s is not eligible to donate plasma.

Crohn’s disease can affect various parts of the gut, where erosions in the gut can introduce infection

into the plasma. This may only be detectable on endoscopy and may not cause symptoms.

• If you spent 3 or more months in any of the following places during 1980-1996 you are ineligible to donate plasma: England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.
• If you spent 5 years or more in any of the following places during 1980-2001, you are ineligible to donate plasma: France or the Republic of Ireland.
• Since 1980 anyone who received a blood transfusion or blood product in the England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands and France is ineligible to donate plasma.

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease is a human variant form of Bovine Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease. If you have lived at the above listed places during the time frame, you cannot donate due to the risk of being a carrier of CJD.

CJD/vCJD is an incurable, progressive and life-threatening illness that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by an infectious agent called prions. Prions cannot be detected in donated plasma by testing, nor can they be removed.

Donors must not come to donate on the same day as their dental appointments for basic check-ups, cleanings, and fillings to ensure they feel well before the donation.

For more extensive work, such as tooth extraction, root canal, or dental surgery, you will need to wait at least one week without antibiotics and be fully recovered before returning to donate. Please contact your center to confirm the deferral period, as it will be case by case.

Dental allografts or xenografts make you ineligible to donate plasma. You must wait three months before donating dental autografts.

Individuals with Type I diabetes cannot donate plasma. If you’re currently using insulin, you’re ineligible.

However, Type II diabetes patients who are not insulin-dependent may be accepted. If you’re on non-insulin diabetes medications (such as oral or non-insulin injectables), and you’ve never been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or chronic kidney disease, or your hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is ≤ 7.0, you may be eligible. All these criteria must be verified by your healthcare provider during your initial and subsequent donor eligibility assessments.

You are ineligible for plasma donation for five years from the last time you took anti-seizure medications as long as you’ve remained seizure-free during that period.

Acceptable if not taking any medications related to the diagnosis.

History of a heart attack makes you ineligible to donate plasma.

Medications are accepted on a case-by-case basis, and follow-up questions may be asked regarding mental health status.

Minors are not allowed in the center at any time.

You are not eligible to donate if diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Evidence-based research conducted within the United States and worldwide has demonstrated a strong correlation between the number of high-risk sexual behaviours and recent HIV infections, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. These individuals had new or multiple sexual partners and engaged in anal sex in the last three months. Data also showed the effectiveness of risk-based sexual behaviour-screening questions to screen out such subjects. Therefore the introduction of effective questioning with a focus on individual high-risk sexual behaviours such as anal sex and multiple partners is being implemented.

What is considered a “new” sexual partner?
The term “new” sexual partner means
– Having sex with someone for the first time
OR
– Having had sex with someone in a relationship that ended in the past and having sex again with that person in the last three months.

You must wait 4 months after getting a tattoo or piercing to be eligible to donate

You are ineligible until treated with a total colectomy and fully recovered.

See our vaccine poster