An individual can donate blood after 14 days of either receipt of COVID-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR negative, if suffering from COVID-19 disease.
TFM Desk
The National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) has made several recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccination, in view of the “emerging scientific evidence and experience from across the globe”.
National Health Mission secretary Rajesh Bhushan on Wednesday wrote to the chief secretaries of the states and UTs of the country in this regard.
Deferring the COVID-19 vaccination in the following scenario:
- In case of individuals having lab test proven SARS-2 COVID-19 illness, COVID-19 vaccination to be deferred by three months after recovery.
- In case of SARS-2 COVID-19 patients who have been given anti-SARS-2 monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, COVID-19 vaccination to be deferred by three months from discharge from the hospital.
- In case of individuals who have received at least the first dose and got COVID-19 infection before completion of the dosing schedule, the second dose should be deferred by three months from clinical recovery from COVID-19 illness.
- Persons with any other serious general illness requiring hospitalization or ICU care should also wait for 4-8 weeks before getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
As per the recommendations, there is no requirement for screening of the vaccine recipients by Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) prior to COVID-19 vaccination. And COVID-19 vaccination is recommended for all lactating women.
An individual can donate blood after 14 days of either receipt of COVID-19 vaccine or testing RT-PCR negative, if suffering from COVID-19 disease.
The letter also mentioned that the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has accepted these recommendations made by NEGVAC, which has been guiding the strategy for COVID-19 vaccination roll-out in the country.