Posts falsely claim that blood donations from people vaccinated against COVID-19 are unsafe

Posts in both English and Spanish are falsely claiming that blood donations from people vaccinated against COVID-19 are not safe, based on a preprint literature review from Japan. The study the users cite recommends suspending mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations to avoid “spike protein contamination.”

Recommendation: These types of posts may promote confusion about who is eligible to donate blood and the risks of receiving a blood transfusion. Ensuring that informational materials about blood donation include prebunking messaging related to COVID-19 vaccines is recommended. Messaging may emphasize that the Red Cross, along with other similar organizations, has confirmed that “blood donations from individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine approved or authorized for use in the U.S. are safe for transfusion.” Additional messaging may emphasize that receiving a blood transfusion from a donor who has been vaccinated against COVID-19 does not transfer the vaccine to the recipient.