Vaccination - How long after I've had a vaccination (or flu shot, etc) can I donate?

It depends on the type of vaccine. Those made from 'killed/inactivated/recombinant' material generally do not affect eligibility. These include diphtheria, influenza (both seasonal flu and H1N1 or 'swine' flu), hepatitis A, meningococcus, pertussis (whooping cough), pneumococcus, Q fever, tetanus, human papillomavirus (Gardasil) and others.

The exception is hepatitis B. If you have received this vaccine, you should not donate for a week as it may interfere with our testing.

Vaccines made from 'live/attenuated' material restrict our usage of your donation for a short period. For four weeks after your vaccination we can only use the plasma component of your donation. These vaccines include BCG (tuberculosis), measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), Sabin (the oral polio vaccine) and varicella (chicken pox).

If you are unsure about your eligibility to donate after vaccination, please contact Blood Service on 13 14 95 and ask to speak to Medical Services.