• Must be at least 16 years old (16- and some 17-year-olds must bring a signed permission form from a parent or guardian, if required by state or school).
• Weigh at least 110 pounds. Certain height/weight criteria may apply for donors 22 years old or younger. For specific requirements in your area, please call 877-258-4825.
• Be in good general health.
• For your safety and to ensure a positive donation experience, make sure you eat within two hours ahead of your donation. Drink plenty of water that day and 24 to 48 hours beforehand. Feel free to help yourself to something to eat and drink in our refreshment area.
• Bring your ID—something with your name and one of the following: date of birth, donor ID number or your photo.
• You must wait eight weeks between whole blood donations. Learn more about specific intervals for other types of donation.
• You should not be under the influence of alcohol or recreational drugs at the time of donation.

Platelet donors should avoid aspirin and/or aspirin-containing products 48 hours prior to donation and other anti-platelet medications as listed here.

Power Red donors must meet certain height and weight requirements.

Unlike plasma that is donated specifically for patient transfusion, source plasma is collected and used to develop lifesaving medicines and therapies for patients with neurological disorders, immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders and more. Currently, Vitalant only offers voluntary source plasma donation opportunities to people who live in the Sacramento area.

Source plasma donors have specific eligibility requirements. Please call us at 877-258-4825 for more information.

Only healthy donors who are feeling well at the time of their donation should visit a donation center or blood drive. Early symptoms of monkeypox can include fever, chills, headaches, body aches, and within a few days, painful lymph node swelling and a characteristic pustular, blistering rash. The rash may appear first and may be localized, sometimes without flu-like symptoms. Anyone with these symptoms should not come to donate until all symptoms resolve and at least 21 days have passed since symptom onset. People concerned about close exposure to someone diagnosed with monkeypox should delay from donating blood for 21 days after that possible exposure.

 

Vitalant prescreens all donors for eligibility, including a mini-physical (with a temperature check and arm examination, which could reveal signs of infection) and a health questionnaire. There have been no cases of this virus being transmitted through blood transfusion during this or prior outbreaks. We will continue to monitor the situation and collaborate with industry partners and the FDA (which determines blood donor eligibility in the U.S.) on additional safety measures should they be warranted. More information about monkeypox is available on the CDC’s website.

COVID-19 is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has listed several classical symptoms of COVID-19 infection which include:

• Fever and/or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Muscle and body aches
• Sudden loss of taste or smell

Before donating blood, please refer to your state’s or public health agency’s guidelines for COVID-19 testing and quarantining.  Do not come to donate if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or are subject to quarantine after close contact with individuals diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 infection.  If you’ve had COVID-19 and have been symptom-free for 10 days, you are eligible to donate.

Please do NOT donate or enter a Vitalant facility if you are not feeling well. Blood donors are NOT tested for active coronavirus infection.