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Deferred Donors

If you were deferred, you can still make a difference. Most deferrals are temporary, and donors can plan their next donation right away. For extended or permanent deferrals, you can support the Red Cross mission in other ways.

Common Reasons for Deferrals

• Low hemoglobin / hematocrit
• Cold, flu or other illness symptoms
• Temporary deferrals (certain travel, some medications)
• Permanent deferrals (certain travel, some medical conditions)

Deferral Reason #1
Low Hemoglobin / HematocritThe most common cause of mild anemia in otherwise healthy people – particularly women – is a low level of iron. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin. Blood donation removes iron from the body and may cause or contribute to low iron levels or anemia. If your low hemoglobin is due to low iron, you can replenish the supply by increasing your intake of high-iron foods or by taking iron supplements or multivitamins with iron.

We check donors' hemoglobin at every donation and it must be above minimum value required for blood donation which is 12.5g/dL. 

Hemoglobin values for healthy humans usually fall within the following ranges:

                Men: 13.8 – 17.2 g/dL

                Women: 12.1 – 15.1 g/dL

If your hemoglobin is within the normal ranges above, or if you have been able to give blood in the past, please try again to donate at a future blood drive.

If your hemoglobin is below the lower value of the range, or has been low on several occasions, talk to your physician about your specific test results.  Abnormally low hemoglobin - also called anemia - can develop when a person either does not make enough red blood cells or loses blood from the body.

What to DoIf your hemoglobin is within the range, we encourage you to eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of iron- and vitamin-C-rich foods for the next two months, and then try to donate again.
 
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Deferral Reason #2
Cold, flu or other illness symptomsFor the safety of both donors and recipients, donors that do not feel well on the day of donation should not donate blood. Donors may return to donate 24 hours after all symptoms have cleared.

What to Do

• Simply allow time to recover from the cold or flu symptoms.
• And go ahead and schedule your next donation appointment in a couple of weeks.

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Deferral Reason #3
Temporary deferralsSome eligibility requirements, such as those related to some travel destinations or medications, may cause a temporary deferral for a period, such as three months or a year.

What to Do

• Please schedule your next donation appointmentfor a date after the expiration of the temporary deferral.
• In the meantime, you can still support the blood donation cause:

• Send an eCard inviting friends and family to donate. 
• Help host a blood drive.
• Volunteer your time at a blood drive.
• Make a financial donation to support the mission of the American Red Cross.

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Deferral Reason #4
Permanent deferralsEligibility criteria, such as certain medical conditions, may prevent you from being able to donate blood in general.

What to Do

• Spread the word that the need for blood is constant.
• In the meantime, you can still support the blood donation cause:

• Send an eCard inviting friends and family to donate
• Join us on Facebook, inviting friends to donate or support the cause.
• Help host a blood drive.
• Volunteer your time at a blood drive.
• Make a financial donation to support the mission of the American Red Cross.

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