Blood Center

Many times, donors come into our donor room ready to donate blood and are deferred or turned away.

What does this mean?   Why me?

There are many reasons why someone might be temporarily or permanently deferred and it is nothing to be ashamed of.

FDA puts strict regulations on all blood collections so that the blood that our patients receive is safe. In other situations, the deferral occurs to protect the donor from having complications to the donation process.

Although we can not change a permanent deferral, the majority of temporarily deferred donors are eligible to donate again at a later time.

The UTMB Blood Center needs these individuals to reintegrate as active blood donors as soon as they become eligible.

Reasons you might be temporarily  deferred:

• You have cold or flu-like symptoms.

• You have a fever.

• Your iron level is too low.

  You can improve your Iron by improving your diet.  Click here for additional Good Dietary Sources of Iron

• Your pulse is too high.

• Your blood pressure is too high.

• You are on antibiotics for a cold or infection.

All of the reasons listed above are what we call temporary because once you are off antibiotics, feeling better, iron higher, blood pressure under control and pulse lowered you can come back to donate. 

• You have recently had a vaccination/immunization for:

       a.  German Measles (Rubella), MMR (Measles, Mumps and   

            Rubella) and Chicken Pox (Varivax). Wait 4 weeks.

        b. Red Measles (Rubeola), Mumps, Polio with the oral        

            (mouth) preparation, Small Pox and Yellow Fever Vaccine.

            Wait 2 weeks.

For a more complete look at those who might be temporarily deferred click here.