FDA Changes to Blood Donor Deferral Criteria

FDA changes will allow for the re-entry of thousands of individuals to the donor pool who were previously deferred. The updated FDA guidance changes the period of deferral from 12 months to three months in several donor categories, including:

• Travel by individuals who have never lived in a malarial endemic area, but have traveled to such an area.
• Individuals who have used non-prescription injectable drugs.
• Individuals who have received a blood transfusion.
• Men who have had sex with other men during the past year.
• Accidental contact with another individual’s blood such as through a needle stick.
• Receiving a tattoo, ear or body piercing not from a state regulated establishment.
• History of syphilis or gonorrhea, or sex with someone in these categories.

The FDA guidance also removes the deferral criteria for geographical risk of vCJD (Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, also known as Mad Cow Disease). According to the updated FDA guidance:

• Individuals who spent time that adds up to three months or more in the United Kingdom countries of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands from 1980 through 1996 are now eligible to donate.
• Individuals who spent time that adds up to five years of more in France or Ireland from 1980 through 2001 are now eligible to donate.
• Individuals who received a blood transfusion in France, Ireland, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands from 1980 to the present are now eligible to donate.
• Individuals who spent time on a U.S. military base in Belgium, the Netherlands (Holland) or Germany are now eligible to donate.
• Individuals who spent time on a U.S. military base in Spain, Portugal, Turkey, Italy or Greece are now eligible to donate.

If you feel you are eligible to donate due to these FDA changes click here to fill out our Donor Eligibility Inquiry Form.