OBI: People Who Receive COVID-19 Vaccine Can No Longer Give Convalescent Plasma

The Oklahoma Blood Institute said if you're one of the thousands of Oklahomans who have recovered from COVID-19, if you’ve gotten the vaccine, you will no longer be able to donate convalescent plasma.

Dr. Tuan Le, Chief Medical Officer for the Oklahoma Blood Institute, said while OBI is happy that people are getting the vaccine, it’s bittersweet because now fewer people can donate convalescent plasma.

“And hopefully that drives hospitalizations down, and that’s our hope, that the need for CCP also decreases, and that’s something we keep our eye out on," said Le.

The number of COVID-19 vaccine recipients increases every day, however, that means the number of convalescent plasma donors are decreasing.

The FDA has recommended OBI not accept convalescent plasma from anyone who has received the vaccine. Le said this is out of caution because there hasn't been enough testing to determine any effects.

"That is a combination that the FDA has a way to deal with, in terms of what then is the combination of passive immunity or active immunity with the vaccination," Le said.

While you cannot donate COVID convalescent plasma if you’ve received the Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines, you can still donate blood, platelets or traditional plasma. If you get the Astrazeneca vaccine, you can begin blood product donations again, after two weeks.

Health leaders report if you’ve received monoclonal antibodies, you have to wait 12 months to donate blood, and are not eligible to donate convalescent plasma.