Fact check: Donors who received mRNA vaccine can still give blood

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·3 min read
5

The claim: US bill makes it illegal to donate blood, tissue after getting an mRNA vaccine

An April 15 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) claims a bill makes it illegal for millions of Americans to donate blood.

“Bill 645 US makes it a criminal offence (sic) to donate blood & tissue if you received mRNA vxx (sic),” reads the post. “What does that imply?”

The post was liked nearly 3,000 times in less than three weeks.

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Our rating: False

There is no law – or proposed law – in the U.S. that prevents someone from donating blood or tissue if they’ve received an mRNA vaccine. A Montana House bill proposed doing so, but the bill was killed in March. An expert told USA TODAY that mRNA vaccines do not affect one’s blood, and those who have received one can still donate blood.

FDA, Red Cross say blood from donors with mRNA vaccine is safe for transfusion

Montana House Bill 645, introduced on Feb. 17, sought in part to ban people from knowingly donating blood or tissue after getting an mRNA vaccine. It proposed fining both donors and distributors up to $500 for the misdemeanor offense, according to the bill text.

Montana state Rep. Greg Kmetz introduced it as a constituent bill based on concerns from Montanans about the potential effect of such vaccines on blood recipients, as reported by the Billings Gazette. In a hearing for the bill, its supporters often referenced anecdotal or debunked evidence, while those against the bill warned of its potentially devastating effect on the blood supply, according to the outlet.

The bill was tabled in a 19-1 vote on Feb. 27 and effectively killed.

And the claims behind it are baseless.

Blood from donors vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine is safe for transfusion because, while it generates an immune response to the virus, the “vaccine components themselves are not found within the bloodstream,” according to Jessa Merrill, director of communications for American Red Cross Biomedical Services.

The Food and Drug Administration said people who get a “nonreplicating, inactivated or mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine” do not have to undergo a waiting period prior to donating blood, according to guidance issued in January 2022. The guidance also said respiratory viruses are not known to spread through blood transfusion and that there have been no reported cases of transfusion-transmitted coronaviruses worldwide.

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The Red Cross, which provides roughly 40% of the country’s blood supply, follows FDA guidance for donations and does not require a deferral time for eligible donors who received an mRNA vaccine.

Merrill also pointed to an FDA declaration that there is no evidence receiving blood from an mRNA-vaccinated donor has any adverse effect on recipients. Both the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the claim for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: Blood from donors with mRNA shot is safe for transfusions