Blood Donation After Viral Hepatitis: Eligibility Rules

Permanent Deferral

Individuals with a history of viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D, E) after age 11 are permanently ineligible to donate blood in the United States and most other countries.

Rationale

• Risk of persistent viremia or occult infection despite clinical recovery.
• Window-period donations could transmit virus to recipients.
• Serologic testing may miss low-level or mutant strains.

Exceptions

• Hepatitis A acquired before age 11 may be acceptable in some jurisdictions after documented recovery and negative serology.
• Non-viral hepatitis (alcoholic, autoimmune, drug-induced) does not automatically defer if liver function is normal and etiology is confirmed non-infectious.

Always verify with the specific blood collection agency (Red Cross, Vitalant, etc.) as criteria can evolve.