If you receive the COVID-19 vaccine, can you still donate restorative plasma?

SAN ANTONIO – As the number of COVID-19 hospital admissions continues to rise in Bexar County, there is still a great need for restorative plasma to treat the disease. The new vaccines are an effective drug against COVID-19, but you cannot donate restorative plasma if you get one.

Dr. Samantha Gomez Ngamsuntikul, associate medical director at BioBridge Global, said the vaccines and restorative plasma don’t really mix.

“If you donate COVID restorative plasma and you do get the vaccine, you will not be able to donate restorative plasma,” Ngamsuntikul said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration explains that it is unclear whether the quality of the immune response from that plasma is as effective as plasma from people who fought the virus without the vaccine.

Since current vaccines do not contain the virus itself, Ngamsuntikul said you are still eligible to donate blood.

“For the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, they are mRNA vaccines, and at the moment there is no waiting time to donate,” said Ngamsuntikul. “You can still donate whole blood and platelets.”

Ngamsuntikul says it’s crucial to donate blood now.

“To make sure we have enough blood for our local community,” she said.

You can make an appointment to donate with the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center by calling 210-731-5590 or by visiting southtexasblood.org.

click here for more COVID-19 vaccination coverage from KSAT.