Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a nationwide blood shortage. You can donate blood if you have received the COVID-19 vaccine. However, depending on what type of COVID-19 vaccine you received, you may need to wait two weeks before donating blood, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Wait two weeks to donate blood after COVID-19 vaccination if you:

• Do not know which type of vaccine you received
• Received a live attenuated COVID-19 vaccine, such as COVI-VAC (this is rare)

You do not need to wait to donate blood after COVID-19 vaccination if you are feeling well and you:

• Received an inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine or mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, including those manufactured by AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Novavax or Pfizer-BioNTech.

Do not donate blood if you:

• Are not feeling well
• Have COVID-19 symptoms

Bring your COVID-19 vaccine card with you when you donate blood, as you may be asked to share the type of vaccine you received and date of vaccination.

Learn how to become a blood donor at a location near you.

Glenn E. Ramsey, MD, medical director of the Blood Bank at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and professor of Pathology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.