Eligibility: medications and vaccinations
You are eligible to donate while taking most commonly used medications or vaccines. Some vaccines require a waiting period.
Medication
Most medications do not prevent you from donating blood, plasma and platelets. If you are currently taking medication, please review our list (below) of common medications that are not a barrier to donating. Please also remember to bring a list of your prescription and non-prescription medications to your donation appointment and the reason for taking them.
Review our list of acceptable medications for donating blood and plasma
| Aciphex (Rabeprazole) | Lexapro (Escitalopram) |
| Adalat (Nifedipine) | Lipitor (Atorvastatin) |
| Advil (Ibuprofen) | Lopressor (Metoprolol) |
| Aleve (Naproxen) | Lozol (Indapamide) |
| Allopurinol | Luvox (Fluvoxamine) |
| Altace (Ramipril) | Lyrica (Pregabalin) |
| Anafranil (Clomipramine) | Minipress (Prazosin) |
| Aspirin (ASA, acetylsalicylic acid) | Mobic (Meloxicam) |
| Atacand (Candesartan) | Monitan, Sectral (Acebutolol) |
| Atarax (Hydroxyzine) | Monocor (Bisoprolol) |
| Ativan (Lorazepam) | Nasonex (Mometasone) |
| Avapro (Irbesartan) | Nexium (Esomeprazole) |
| Aventyl (Nortriptyline) | Norvasc (Amlodipine) |
| Betoptics (Betaxolol) | Oxazepam |
| Birth control (oral and injectable contraception, hormone supplementation) | Ozempic (Semaglutide) |
| Brintellix (Vortioxetine) | Pamelor (Nortriptyline) |
| Buspar (Buspirone) | Paxil (Paroxetine) |
| Cardizem (Diltiazem) | Penbutolol |
| Cardura (Doxazosin) | Phenelzine |
| Catapres (Clonidine) | Piroxicam |
| Celebrex (Celecoxib) | Plavix (Clopidogrel) |
| Celexa (Citalopram) | Plendil (Felodipine) |
| Cipralex (Escitalopram) | Prevacid (Lansoprazole) |
| Compazine (Prochlorperazine) | Protonix (Pantoprazole) |
| Concerta (Methylphenidate) | Prozac (Fluoxetine) |
| Corgard (Nadolol) | Reactine (Cetirizine) |
| Coversyl (Perindopril) | Remeron (Mirtazapine) |
| Crestor (Rosuvastatin) | Ritalin (Methylphenidate) |
| Cymbalta (Duloxetine) | Seroquel (Quetiapine) |
| Desipramine | Stelazine (Trifluoperazine) |
| Doxepin (Sinequan) | Synthroid (Levothyroxine) |
| Effexor (Venlafaxine XR) | Tenormin (Atenolol) |
| Elavil (Amitriptyline) | Trazodone |
| Eltroxin (Levothyroxine) | Trintellix (Vortioxetine) |
| Flomax (Tamsulosin) | Tylenol (Acetaminophen) |
| Glucophage (Metformin) | Ventolin (Salbutamol) |
| Hydralazine | Viagra (Sildenafil) |
| Hytrin (Terazosin) | Vivactil (Protriptyline) |
| Imovane (Zopiclone) | Vyvanse (Lisdexamfetamine) |
| Inderal (Propranolol) | Wellbutrin (Bupropion) |
| Indocid (Indomethacin) | Zoloft (Sertraline) |
| Isoptin (Verapamil) | Zyban (Bupropion) |
Do any medications require a waiting period before donating platelets?
For platelet donors only: Platelet donors require a short waiting period after taking the following medications. These are some of the medications that inhibit platelet function. Note the waiting period since your last dose after the asterisk symbol (*).
- Aspirin (ASA, acetylsalicylic acid) *72 hours
- Plavix (Clopidogrel) *14 days
- Arthrotec (Diclofenac/Misoprostol) *24 hours
- Advil (Ibuprofen) *24 hours
- Indocid (Indomethacin) *24 hours
- Aleve (Naproxen) *72 hours
- Piroxicam *14 days
If you have questions about your eligibility, please call to speak with one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283).
What should I do if my medication isn’t listed?
If your medication is not listed, or you have additional questions about eligibility, please call to speak with one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283).
Antibiotics
Depending on the reason for taking antibiotics, you may be temporarily unable to donate. For example, if you are taking antibiotics to treat an infection, you should not donate blood, platelets or plasma.
If you are unsure about your eligibility, please call to speak with one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283).
Birth control
People taking birth control medication are eligible to donate.
Hormone supplements
If you are taking hormone medication and are otherwise eligible, you can donate.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
If you are taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication to prevent an HIV infection, you are not able to donate. If you stop taking PrEP you must wait four months if you were taking oral PrEP before you can donate and must wait two years if you were taking injectable PrEP before you can donate.
If you are unsure about your eligibility, please call to speak with one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283).
Vaccines
If you have recently been vaccinated, you may be asked to wait a short time before donating. Review our full list of waiting periods for vaccinations below.
Waiting periods for common vaccinations
| ILLNESS | VACCINE BRAND NAMES This list is not inclusive of all brand names | WAITING PERIOD |
| Anthrax | None | |
| Chicken Pox (varicella) | ProQuad, Varilrix, Varivax III | 3 months |
| Chikungunya | Ixchiq | 4 weeks |
| Cholera | Dukoral (oral), Vaxchora | None |
| Coronavirus (COVID-19) | COVID-19 vaccines given in Canada | None |
| Diarrhea (travellers) | Dukoral (oral) | None |
| Diphtheria | Adacel, Boostrix | None |
| Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis | Adacel, Boostrix | None |
| Japanese encephalitis | Ixiaro | 3 weeks |
| Hepatitis A | Avaxim, Havrix, Vaqta | 7 days |
| Hepatitis A immune globulin | 6 months | |
| Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B | Twinrix | 4 weeks |
| Hepatitis B | Engerix B, Recombivax–HB | 4 weeks |
| Hyper HEP B, HepaGam (Hepatitis B immune globulin) | 12 months | |
| Herpes Zoster (Shingles) | Shingrix | None |
| Human Papillomavirus | Cervarix, Gardasil 9 | None |
| Influenza | Afluria tetra, Agriflu, Arepanrix (H5N1), Fluad, Flucelvax Quad, Flumist Quadrivalent, intranasal, Fluviral, Influvac tetra | None |
| Measles, Mumps, Rubella | MMR II, Priorix | 4 weeks |
| Measles, Mumps, Rubella, varicella | MMRV, Priorix Tetra, ProQuad | 3 months |
| Measles (Rubeola) | MMR II | 4 weeks |
| Meningococcal | Bexsero, Menactra, Menjugate, Menquadfi, Menveo, Neisvac-C, Nimenrix, Trumenba | None |
| Mpox | Imvamune | None |
| Mumps | MMR II | 4 weeks |
| Paratyphoid | None | |
| Pertussis | Adacel, Boostrix | None |
| Plague | None | |
| Pneumococcal | Capvaxive, Pneumovax 23, Prevnar 13, Prevnar 20, Vaxneuvance | None |
| Polio | Sabin oral polio vaccine (oral) | 6 weeks |
| Salk Imovax, IPV (injection) | None | |
| Rabies (pre-exposure immunization) | Imovax Rabies, RabAvert | None |
| Rabies (post-exposure immunization) | Imovax Rabies or RabAvert only (no immune globulin given) | None |
| Rabies Immune Globulin - HyperRAB, Imogam rabies, Kamrab | 12 months | |
| RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) | Abrysvo, Arexvy | None |
| Rocky Mountain spotted fever | None | |
| Rubella (German Measles) | MMR II | 4 weeks |
| Smallpox | Imvamune | None |
| Vaccine other than Imvamune, please call 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283) to verify eligibility | ||
| Tetanus | Adacel, Boostrix | None |
| Tick-borne encephalitis | None | |
| Typhoid | Vivotif (oral) | 4 weeks |
| Typhim Vi | None | |
| Typhus | None | |
| Yellow Fever | YF-Vax | 4 weeks |
What should I do if my vaccine isn’t listed?
If you received a vaccine that is not listed above, please call to speak with one of our trained health professionals at 1 888 2 DONATE (1 888 236-6283).
Is it safe to receive blood or blood products from a donor who has had the COVID-19 vaccine?
Our ultimate priority is the health of the patient. As part of our mandate to provide a safe, accessible blood supply to Canadians, medical and scientific professionals at Canadian Blood Services carefully review and assess each vaccine authorized for use in Canada. Health Canada has not recommended or imposed any restriction on the use of the four authorized COVID-19 vaccines and blood donation. All new vaccines are assessed by the medical professionals at Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec, in conjunction with recommendations by Health Canada, and informed by scientific evidence.
Health Canada has indicated that no blood donor deferral is required for any of the currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines. This is consistent with Canadian Blood Services’ donor eligibility criteria for other non-live vaccines, for which no donor deferral is required, and is in line with the practice of other blood operators.
Blood collected from donors who have received any of the current Health Canada-authorized COVID-19 vaccines has not been associated with any adverse transfusion reaction that has been attributable to vaccination of the donor.
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