At this moment, here in America, there is no real distinction within the US Red Cross

between blood that was donated by vaccinated people versus those who are unvaccinated.

Now, it is the case that when you go to donate blood,

they ask you whether or not you've received the COVID vaccine,

but that has nothing to do with your eligibility.

In fact, over on the Red Cross website, they make a special point to mention that, quote,

the Red Cross, like all blood collectors in the U.S. is required to follow the eligibility

guidelines said by the FDA.

The FDA permits individuals to donate blood with no

wait period after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are feeling well

and symptom-free and the vaccine they received is one that was approved by the

FDA for use in the US.

Meaning in practical terms that as long as you say you're feeling all right,

your COVID vaccination status does not affect your eligibility to donate blood.

Furthermore, on the

flip side on the receiving end, if you need a blood transfusion,

there's no real way for you to be able to know

whether or not the blood you're getting

came from a vaccinated versus an unvaccinated source.

And while the FDA and the Red Cross on their respective websites,

they say that they're fine with the situation

and that the MRNA injections do not pose a risk to the recipient,

...