What was that about donating blood after a vaccination?

With the online Vaccine Check tool, blood donors can find out for themselves whether they are still eligible to donate or whether a waiting period applies. The new tool supplements the Donation Check and the Travel Check tools, which are already online.

Brimming with enthusiasm, a would-be donor goes in for an appointment at a donor centre or to a blood drive – only to be sent home due to a recent vaccination. It is scenarios of disappointment such as this that the online tool Vaccine Check hopes to prevent. The tool enables donors to find out the earliest date on which they will be eligible to donate blood from the comfort of their own homes.

Shorter and longer waiting periods

The post-vaccination waiting period (deferral period) for many of the typical vaccinations, like those against tick-borne pathogens and flu, is 48 hours. The same period applies to the mRNA Covid-19 vaccines that have been approved for use in Switzerland.

However, the waiting periods associated with some other vaccines are longer (up to 4 weeks). These include the known vaccines against typhoid or yellow fever, which are often recommended or can even be mandatory for persons travelling outside Europe.

Easy-to-use tool

To do the online Vaccine Check, donors simply enter either the name of the vaccine they just received or the name of the illness/virus they were vaccinated against. The tool tells them immediately whether they can donate blood or whether they will have to wait for a certain period first. Using this tool in combination with the Donation Check and the Travel Check tools is the ideal way for people to prepare for their next blood donation. Please help us raise awareness of these services for blood donors.