Eligibility

You must be between the ages of 17-68 years to be eligible to donate plasma.

Alcohol dependency or alcoholism is not accepted. History of alcoholism, even if recovering/recovered is not accepted.

When taking oral antibiotics, you are not eligible to donate plasma until 48 hours after your last dose. If you have a current infection, you are not eligible to donate.

*Some topical creams are accepted, please contact your center to inquire.

If you have been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation you are not eligible to donate plasma.

There are multiple bleeding disorders that can be diagnosed, any/all bleeding disorders are not accepted for plasma donation.

Anyone that is currently pregnant or has had a pregnancy in the last 6 months is not eligible to donate. After childbirth, donors are asked to wait 6 months before returning to donate.

After a pregnancy loss or termination, donors are asked to wait 6 months. This time allows for a wellness check and to ensure no other complications have occurred.

Breastfeeding is accepted if you are 6 months postpartum.

Individuals who use cannabis may be eligible to donate. At the time of donation, donors must not be intoxicated as this prevents us from obtaining informed consent.

Donations are accepted with a history of certain types of cancer. You must be at least 5 years from curative treatment and in remission during that period. The cancer must be in-situ (not spread elsewhere) and a letter from a physician or specialist indicating the above and your suitability to donate plasma must be presented. Anything not listed is unacceptable.

• Breast
• Colon
• Prostate
• Thyroid
• Uterine
• Cervical (please inquire)

Anyone with a diagnosis of COPD is not eligible to donate plasma.

If you are infected with COVID-19 you must wait 10 days after full recovery or 10 days after a positive test, whichever is longer.

You must wait 6 months after the procedure to be eligible to donate plasma.

*If you are a qualified donor, you may be eligible to return after 4 months. Contact your center to inquire.

Anyone with a diagnosis of Crohn’s is not eligible to donate plasma.

Crohn’s disease can affect various parts of the gut, where erosions in the gut can introduce infection

into the plasma. This may only be detectable on endoscopy and may not cause symptoms.

• If you spent 3 or more months in any of the following places during 1980-1996 you are ineligible to donate plasma: England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.
• If you spent 6 or more months in any of the following places during 1980-1996 you are ineligible to donate plasma: Saudi Arabia
• If you spent 5 years or more in any of the following places during 1980-2007 you are ineligible to donate plasma: Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Republic of Ireland, Portugal, Denmark, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein.
• Since 1980 anyone who received a blood transfusion or blood product in the UK, France or Western Europe is ineligible to donate plasma.

Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease is a human variant form of Bovine Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow Disease. If you have lived at the above listed places during the time frame, you cannot donate due to the risk of being a carrier of CJD.

CJD/vCJD is an incurable, progressive and life-threatening illness that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by an infectious agent called prions. Prions cannot be detected in donated plasma by testing, nor can they be removed.

For basic check-up, cleaning and fillings donors must not come to donate the same day as the dental appointment to ensure they are feeling well for donation.

For more extensive work such as tooth extraction, root cannel or dental surgery, you will need to wait a minimum 1 week and be fully recovered before returning to donate. Please contact your center to confirm the deferral period as it will be case by case.

Dental allografts or xenografts will make you ineligible to donate plasma. Dental autografts you will need to wait 3 months before donating.

Type I diabetics are not accepted. If you are taking insulin, you are not eligible to donate plasma. Type II NON-insulin dependent may be accepted for donation.

Acceptable if not taking any medications related to the diagnosis and have been seizure free for 3 years.

Acceptable if not taking any medications related to the diagnosis.

History of a heart attack makes you ineligible to donate plasma.

All applicant donors must be able to read and comprehend the health history questionnaire and consent forms available in English or French languages. In the interest of safety, individuals who are unable to understand the safety questions and materials appropriately may be deferred from donating.

Medications are accepted on a case-by-case basis and follow up questions may be asked regarding mental health status. If you are taking 3 or more medications for mental health, we suggest contacting your center to get more information regarding your eligibility.

Children may only accompany you to the plasma center if they are supervised by another adult in the waiting area. Alternatively, children aged 12 years or older may wait quietly in the waiting area unaccompanied. Under no circumstances can minors accompany their parents in the production areas.

You are not eligible to donate if you are diagnosed with MS.

Evidence-based research conducted within Canada and worldwide has demonstrated a strong correlation between the number of high-risk sexual behaviours and recent HIV infections, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. These individuals had new or multiple sexual partners and engaged in anal sex in the last three months. Data also showed the effectiveness of risk-based sexual behaviour-screening questions to screen out such subjects. Therefore the introduction of effective questioning with a focus on individual high-risk sexual behaviours such as anal sex and multiple partners is being implemented.

What is considered a “new” sexual partner?
The term “new” sexual partner means
– Having sex with someone for the first time
OR
– Having had sex with someone in a relationship that ended in the past and having sex again with that person in the last four months.

You must wait 6 months after getting a tattoo or piercing to be eligible to donate

Trans individuals will be able to complete the questionnaire, which includes the sexual-behaviour based screening questions. There are no references to gender identity and sexual orientation in our electronic questionnaire. However, all donors will be asked about their “sex assigned at birth” and “current gender” during registration.
“Sex assigned at birth” is assigned based on a person’s reproductive system and other physical characteristics. It is classified as Male (M) or Female (F). This information is asked as donor health safety parameters, such as acceptable hematocrit ranges are defined by biological sex and not gender.
“Current gender” refers to an individual’s personal and social identity as a man, woman or non-binary person. Current gender is asked to allow use of appropriate gender pronouns and salutations when addressing the donor.

Acceptable if not on any medications related to the diagnosis and in remission.

See our vaccine poster