Keypoints:
- After taking the Covid vaccine, people can now donate blood after 14 days.
- People in 18-44 age group comprise the majority of blood donors in the country.
- Union Health Ministry has increased the gap between two Covishield vaccine shots from 28 days to four-eight weeks and 42 days between two Covaxin shots.
Expert committee set up by National Blood Transfusion Council (NBTC) has reviewed a directive which had asked people to donate blood after 28 days of taking the vaccine shots. But, now after taking the vaccine shots, people can donate blood after 14 days.
This decision came after a week when Centre allowed vaccination for the people in 18-44 age group. People in this age group comprise of the majority blood donors in the country. There were concerns about the period of 28 days as it would have meant that the recipients cannot donate blood for almost 2 months. Thus, it would severely affect the availability of blood.
A letter by NBTC director Dr Sunil Gupta said that as “the government recently made Covid-19 vaccination available for general population above 18 years and the fact that so far no live attenuated vaccine has become available in the country, an expert group was constituted to review the advisory/guidelines.’’
Expert group had decided to reduce the deferral period for blood donors to 14 days “after receiving each/any dose of currently available Covid-19 vaccines in the country,’’ said the notification.
NGO Think Foundation’s Vinay Shetty has said that the new directive would help to ensure that there is no shortage of blood in any city.
Union Health Ministry has increased the gap between two Covishield vaccine shots from 28 days to four-eight weeks and 42 days between two Covaxin shots.
For blood donation, India’s deferral period is among the longest. American Red Cross has a period of 14 days for vaccines made from live attenuated virus and none for mRNA vaccines. UK has seven days for Oxford vaccine (Covishield).
