Frequently Asked Questions

You may donate blood if you have been symptom-free for at least 2 weeks and have not used antiviral medication for at least 2 weeks. If you have been in contact with a person who has the flu, you may donate blood so long as you do not have any symptoms. Should you develop symptoms within 1 week of donating blood, please contact the Blood Bank as quickly as possible (088-730 8686).

Please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Hepatitis B vaccination: you may donate blood again 2 weeks after your vaccination.

Professional risk: Contact with a Hepatitis B patient is not a problem for blood donation, as long as you have not been involved in a needle stick or biting accident. In this case, you may donate blood again 4 months after the needle stick or biting accident.

Partner or housemate has (had) Hepatitis B: please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Infection: please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Professional Risk: Contact with a Hepatitis C patient is not a problem for blood donation, as long as you have not been involved in a needle stick or biting accident. In this case, you may donate blood again 4 months after the needle stick or biting accident.

Partner has (had) Hepatitis C: please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Infection: please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Typhoid (injection): you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Typhoid (tablet): you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
BCG: you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
Mumps: you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
MMR (measles-mumps-rubella): you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
Cholera: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Diphtheria: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
DTP: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Experimental vaccine: please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.
Yellow fever: you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
Flu (influenza): you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Haemophilus influenzae: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Hepatitis A: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Hepatitis A after contact: you may donate blood 3 months after vaccination.
Hepatitis B or Hepatitis A + B: you may donate blood 2 weeks after vaccination. Hepatitis B vaccination after blood-blood contact (needle stick accident); you may donate blood again 4 months after the incident.
Rabies: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Rabies vaccination: if this is administered due to contact with an infected animal, you may donate blood again 1 year after vaccination.
Human papilloma virus (Gardasil): you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Pertussis (whooping cough): you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Measles: you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
Meningococcus: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Unregistered vaccine: you may donate blood 1 month after vaccination.
Pneumococcus: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Polio (injection): you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Polio (tablet): you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
Rubella (German measles): you may donate blood 4 weeks after vaccination.
Tick-borne encephalitis (FSME): you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.
Tick-borne encephalitis vaccination (FSME): after exposure (e.g. via tick bite) You may donate blood 1 year after vaccination.
Tetanus: you may donate blood if it was a preventive vaccination and you are symptom-free.

You may not donate blood (any more) after a stroke or heart attack. Donating blood may be associated with health risks in this case, even if you do not have any symptoms any more. Please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Whether you may donate blood depends on the cause.

The condition itself is generally not a problem; the underlying cause may be.

Sometimes people go bald following a major life event or due to stress. The question is then whether you are fit enough to give blood.

Please contact the Blood Bank if you have questions (088-730 8686).

You may not donate blood (any more) if you have ever been diagnosed with cancer. Not even if you have been completely healed. There are exceptions for a specific form of skin cancer or cervical cancer. Please contact the Blood Bank at 088-730 8686.

Using a rigid scope: blood donation is allowed once the wound has healed, sutures have been removed and the results of the procedure or reason for surgery are not a reason to object to donation.

If a flexible endoscope is used, you may donate blood again after 4 months, even if the results of the procedure were normal.

Ultrasound: you may donate blood after an ultrasound exam if the results are good. This applies to both internal and internal ultrasound exams.