You should be in good health to give blood. However, there are a few things to consider.
Covid-19
Please see Covid-19 eligibility criteria.
Cold sores
- You can give blood once the cold sore is dry and healing (scabbed over), as long as there are no wet areas and you don’t have any tingling.
Coughs, colds, sore throats
- You can give blood once you’re getting better and feeling well.
Hay fever and similar allergies
- You can give blood provided you have no symptoms, even if you’re taking antihistamines.
Infectious diseases: Mumps, measles, chickenpox, shingles or German measles
- If you’ve had mumps, measles, chickenpox, shingles or German measles, you can give blood provided you’ve been fully recovered for two weeks or more.
- If you have had slapped cheek syndrome (Human Parvovirus B19) you can give blood provided you’ve been fully recovered for four weeks or more.
- If you have been in contact with someone with an infectious disease and have never had the disease yourself, you must wait four weeks before giving blood.
Other infections
- If you’ve had some kind of infection, please wait two weeks from recovery and at least seven days from completing your course of antibiotics.
Sickness, diarrhoea
- You can give blood provided you have been fully recovered for two weeks or more.
Broken bones
- You can give blood once your plaster cast has been removed and any wounds have healed.
High blood pressure, high cholesterol
- You can give blood while being treated for high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
- If your blood pressure medication changes, you will have to wait at least four weeks before giving blood.