GEORGE TOWN – Those who will receive the Covid-19 vaccine this year may have to abstain from donating blood while the National Blood Bank finalises the details.
It is expected to release guidelines for donors according to the brand of vaccine they are given.
Penang General Hospital blood bank medical officer Dr Yap Pau Yee said the period of cessation will depend on the type of vaccine that donors receive.
“Since we are receiving different types of vaccines, the cessation period will vary. For example, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is mRNA-based, and the others are viral vectors, so they are different.
“We are waiting for the guidelines,” she said.
The hospital’s blood bank PR officer, Lina Diyana, told The Vibes that it is better for donors not to give blood after getting vaccinated.
Meanwhile, the Penang Development Authority (PDC) is having an in-house blood donation campaign at its premises on March 3.
Another two campaigns will be held in September and November at Komtar and Mydin Mall in Bukit Mertajam, respectively.
PDC chief executive Datuk Mohd Bazid Abd Kahar told a press conference yesterday that donating blood is a social responsibility, and the pandemic should not be a reason to stop the campaign.
“This will be the 15th year that we are running this campaign. Last year, we managed to collect a total of 469 pints of blood. This year, we have set a target of 600 pints, and we hope that we can achieve it.
“In the past 14 years, we have managed to collect a total of 5,159 pints.
“One pint of blood can save three lives. Can you count how many lives have been saved?”
Penang General Hospital uses between 80 and 100 pints of blood a day, depending on the number of accident cases, said Yap.
She said she hopes for more regular donors giving blood every three months. – The Vibes, February 25, 2021
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