The FDA updated its guidelines for who is eligible to donate blood as the U.S. faces a severe shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Blood donation centers across the U.S. have experienced a dramatic reduction in donations due to social distancing and cancellation of blood drives.
The FDA said April 2 that donating blood can be done safely while still following social-distancing guidelines.
Among the FDA revisions:
- For male donors who would have been deferred for having sex with another man, the deferral period is changing from 12 months to three months.
- For female donors who would have been deferred for having sex with a man who had sex with another man, the agency is changing the recommended deferral period from 12 months to three months.
- For people with recent tattoos and piercings, the deferral period is changing from 12 months to three months.
- For people who have traveled to malaria-endemic areas, the deferral period is changing from 12 months to three months.
- For people who spent time in certain European countries or on military bases in Europe who were previously considered to have been exposed to potential risk of transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease or Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, the FDA is eliminating the deferral period and allowing immediate donation.
The FDA said it is making the changes based on "recently completed studies and epidemiologic data."
The agency said it expects the changes to remain in place after the pandemic ends.
Read the full news release here.