How long after I've had a vaccination can I donate?

It depends on the type of vaccine.

These vaccines don't include any live material and you can donate straight away after having one.

  • Diphtheria
  • Influenza (both seasonal flu and H1N1 or 'swine' flu)
  • Hepatitis A
  • Meningococcus
  • Pertussis (whooping cough)
  • Pneumococcus
  • Q fever
  • Tetanus
  • Human papillomavirus (Gardasil)
  • Shingrix for shingles.

Other vaccines are made from live material, meaning you can give plasma right away but need to wait four weeks before donating blood or platelets. These include:

  • Measles
  • Mumps
  • Rubella
  • Polio (Sabin)
  • Chicken pox/shingles (shingles vaccinations other than Shingrix)
  • Tuberculosis (BCG)

Wait 3 days before donating anything

  • COVID-19 vaccine in Australia (call us on 13 14 95 if your vaccination was outside Australia). Find out more.

Wait 2 weeks before donating anything

  • Hepatitis B

Wait 8 weeks before donating anything

  • Smallpox

Wait 12 weeks before donating anything

  • Trial vaccines for anything other than HIV or hepatitis C

Wait 12 months or more before donating anything

  • Trial vaccines for HIV or hepatitis C

If you're unsure what type of vaccine you received, wait 2 weeks before donating anything, and then only donate plasma for 12 months.

Remember, if you aren’t sure about whether, or when, you can give blood after having a vaccination, just contact us.