Does the American Red Cross accept plasma donations from people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19?

The American Red Cross accepts blood and plasma donations from those who received COVID-19 vaccines.

The Red Cross is working to implement new Food and Drug Administration guidance on the impact of vaccination on “convalescent plasma,” which is collected from people who recovered from COVID-19 and used to treat current patients. Social media posts are misstating this guidance and falsely claiming that vaccinated people can’t donate plasma in general.

A Red Cross program that collected convalescent plasma ended on March 26, after the FDA updated guidance to ensure that donations from vaccinated people would contain the antibodies needed for the plasma to be useful.

“We are evaluating the feasibility and timeline to implement this complex update,” the Red Cross says.

Blood donated through the Red Cross is tested for COVID-19 antibodies in case it can be used for convalescent plasma.