Blood donations and the A(H1N1) flu vaccine

Montreal, October 27, 2009 – In response to the current A(H1N1) flu pandemic, Héma-Québec has reactivated its contingency plan with the goal of continuing to efficiently provide blood components and substitutes to Québec hospitals.

Accordingly, it is important to emphasize that people who receive the A(H1N1) flu vaccine do not have to wait two days before giving blood, as is the case with other vaccines.

Moreover, individuals who have had the flu and have fully recovered may give blood.

Flu viruses—including the influenza A(H1N1) virus—cannot be spread through blood transfusions. To date, there have been no reported cases of flu infection through blood transfusion.

There is no danger of contracting a disease from donating blood, because all of the materials used for collecting blood are new, sterile, sealed and used only once. Moreover, each donated unit of blood is systematically analyzed and screened for blood-borne diseases before it is delivered to hospitals.

About Héma-Québec
Héma-Québec's mission is to efficiently provide sufficient amounts of safe, high-quality blood components, blood substitutes, human tissues and cord blood to meet the needs of all Quebeckers, and to develop and provide expertise and services, along with specialized and innovative services and products in the fields of transfusion medicine and human tissue transplantation.  

Héma-Québec counts 1,300 employees, some 2,000 blood drives and more than 300,000 blood donors every year, 16,000 partner volunteers and more than 485,000 blood products annually delivered to hospitals in Québec to fulfill patients’ needs.

Give blood. Give life.

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For further information, contact:

Valérie Legault
Information Officer
Media Line: 514-832-0871
Email: valerie.legault@hema-quebec.qc.ca