Whether you are a regular donor or if it is the first time you are going to take such an altruistic step as donating your blood, it is normal for you to have different doubts. Will I be able to donate if I have a tattoo? What if I have a piercing? Can I donate blood if I just got vaccinated? You will ask yourself. Quiet @! This last question has a very clear and specific answer, and we are going to try to inform you about everything so that you know if it is possible to do it or not, as well as the time you should wait. Take note!
Vaccines and blood donation: are they compatible?
- The answer to this question will depend, above all, on the type of vaccine you have received. In the case of the flu vaccine, one of the most common in the autumn and winter months, you will not have any problem, just as it happens with the anti-allergy. With this type of vaccine you can go to donate blood with complete peace of mind.
- However, if we talk about other types of vaccines things change. This is the case, for example, of the hepatitis vaccine, with which you will have to wait at least a week to attend a donation center or hospital. For other vaccines, such as varicella or rubella, the exclusion time to donate blood will be one month.
- As you can see, each type of vaccine has a specific waiting time, so it is best to consult your doctor with any questions you have. In this way, he or she will confirm what the waiting time is in the case of your vaccine. In addition, we recommend that when you decide to go to donate reports of that vaccine even if the corresponding waiting time has passed.
What is the donation process?
If you have never gone to donate, you should know that it will not take you long to carry out the process, but it does entail a specific procedure. This should not hold you back since, in total, it will not take you more than half an hour. What is that when you can be saving the lives of three people? So if you plan to go to donate blood, we will tell you the steps you are going to follow:
Information document
When you arrive at the donation place, you will be given a document with generic information that you should know about the donation. Please read it carefully.
Questionnaire
Subsequently, you must identify yourself and fill out a questionnaire about your habits and latest routines. This information is intended to be a first filter for both your safety and that of the patient who will receive the blood. However, it is not the only one, although you must take it seriously and sincerely. In addition, the information is confidential and the staff that deals with it is serious and professional, so you should not feel judged by anything you post.
The interview and tests
The next step (and prior to the donation itself) is a short interview conducted by a health worker while taking your blood pressure and performing a hemoglobin test. This consists of a small prick in the finger with a kind of pen, with which they will extract a drop of blood and with it they will measure your iron levels.
Extraction
The staff will instruct you to sit on a stretcher and prick you with a needle connected to a bag of anticoagulant fluid and preservatives. While you donate, they will tell you not to stop clenching your fist and many of them will ask you if you prefer to look somewhere, talk to distract yourself… During the process they will ask you if you are feeling well or if you feel dizzy. Don’t be brave, be honest at all times.
Recovery time
Finally, after finishing donating and getting up slowly, they will give you a small drink to replenish fluids and offer you something to eat while you wait a few minutes to recover.