RECENT CHANGES TO BLOOD DONATION CRITERIA

Medication

With some medicines, the daily dose may determine whether a person may donate blood. Prospective donors are advised to bring along accurate information of the trade names or active substances, strengths and doses of any drugs they are taking.

Concessions have been made regarding antihypertensive medication. A person using no more than two different preparations for high blood pressure is now allowed to donate blood.

Most vaccines no longer affect blood donation, and donation is allowed immediately after vaccination. However, after live vaccines, such as those against yellow fever and chickenpox, a four-week waiting period is required between the vaccination and blood donation.

People who use hormone preparations derived from human pituitary tissue may not donate blood. In addition to growth hormone therapy, infertility treatment prior to 1990 with hormones of human origin prevent blood donation.

Waiting Periods

A six-month waiting period is now required after endoscopic procedures, blood transfusions, new tattoos and body piercing.

Endoscopic procedure, blood transfusion, tattooing, body piercing or cupping of donor's sexual partner no longer affect the donor's eligibility.

A four-month waiting period is now required after a new sex partner.

Donation is now allowed after a mild, feverless common cold when the symptoms (such as soreness of the throat or a cough) have subsided and the donor feels healthy. A two-week waiting period is required after a sick-leave, influenza (such as swine flu), any respiratory infections with fever higher than 38°C and any medication, such as antibiotics. 

A waiting period of 24 hours is now required after a dental examination, fillings or removal of dental calculus. After tooth extraction there is a two-week waiting period required.

After minor operations, such as mole removal or wound stitching, a one-week waiting period is required.

The maternal iron stores may deplete during pregnancy, delivery and breast-feeding. Donation of blood might pose a further risk of iron deficiency or even anaemia for the mother. Therefore, blood donation is not permitted during pregnancy. After delivery, there must be a waiting period of at least 12 months before donating blood. Donation is not allowed throughout the period of breast-feeding.

Additions

Blood may not be donated when under the influence of alcohol or narcotic drugs or when suffering from a hangover. In such cases, donation is allowed the following day at the earliest. After an isolated experimentation with drugs (excluding injectable drugs) a two to six month's waiting period is required.

Even a single use of injectable drugs prevents blood donation permanently. This also applies to injectable drugs taken for the purposes of body building, and injectable medicinal products taken without a doctor's prescription.

Blood transfusion outside the Nordic countries prevents blood donation permanently. This is necessary because the blood transfusion transmissible human form of BSE ('mad cow disease')  has been detected for instance in Britain and Central Europe.

It is required that the donor has been living in one of the Nordic countries continuously for at least six months. Travel within Europe generally does not prevent blood donation. Travel outside Europe may bring about a waiting period depending on the current global epidemic situation.

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