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Many people need regular blood transfusions to help treat their medical condition. Examples of how blood donations are used include the treatment of cancer, anaemia, and blood, stomach and kidney diseases.
One blood donation can save up to 3 lives.
You can choose to donate:
Giving a plasma donation is called apheresis. It's like giving blood. You can give a plasma donation every 2 weeks. Just over half of your blood is plasma.
A special machine takes blood from your arm. The machine separates your blood and collects plasma. Your plasma is a yellow colour when it's separated from your red blood cells, which make your blood red.
Plasma can be used in many ways, such as to treat liver and kidney disease, to prevent and stop bleeding and the treatment of major burns.
If you're aged 18 to 75 years, feeling well and weigh over 50kg, you can probably give blood in Australia.
There are some things that may affect your eligibility to donate, such as your:
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood has a full list of eligibility criteria and an eligibility checker to help you work out if you can donate blood.
No, you will need to wait until you're feeling well before donating blood.
Even if you only have mild symptoms, like a runny nose, you should stay home to rest and recover.
If you have a long-term condition, check the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood website for information.
You might have to wait to donate blood or plasma after having a vaccination. The waiting time depends on the type of vaccination you have had.
| Disease your vaccination is protecting you against | Waiting period to donate plasma | Waiting period to donate blood or platelets |
| Diphtheria | None | None |
| Influenza (both seasonal flu and H1N1 or 'swine' flu) | None | None |
| Hepatitis A | None | None |
| Meningococcal disease | None | None |
| Whooping cough (pertussis) | None | None |
| Pneumococcal disease | None | None |
| Q fever | None | None |
| Tetanus | None | None |
| Human papillomavirus (HPV) | None | None |
| Shingles | None | None |
| Measles |
Last reviewed: December 2023
Read full article -->These trusted information partners have more on this topic.
Are you eligible to donate blood? What are blood donations used for? What happens during a blood transfusion? Answers to common questions about blood donations and transfusions.
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Treatment with blood transfusion needs to be carefully discussed with your doctor.
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They say opposites attract, but when it comes to blood transfusion, some things were never meant to mix.
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Donate blood as a group with Lifeblood Teams.
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Our resources can be freely downloaded, and printed copies of selected resources can also be ordered at no cost.
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Some types of anaemia, thrombocytopenia and platelet function disorders, bleeding disorders and massive transfusion are common clinical indications for blood components.
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Adverse transfusion reactions are when patients experience an undesirable response associated with transfusion of blood or blood products.
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Our Red Cell Reference Service provides an internationally recognised scientific and diagnostic service to support transfusion practice and clinical need. Their primary role is to determine red cell phenotypes and antibodies to help find the most suitable specialised blood component for each patient.
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This expert team delivers agile and efficient transplantation and immunogenetics diagnostic testing services and scientific expertise for solid organ and stem cell transplants and platelet and neutrophil immunobiology diagnostics across the country.
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We provide an innovative range of education events and resources for health professionals to support safe transfusion practice at any stage of their career.
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