# Cold, Flu — Blood donor deferral criteria compared across national blood services

For Cold, Flu, blood service is American Red Cross (US); waiting period is until symptoms resolve; condition is wait if you have a fever or a productive cough; wait until you have completed antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat or lung infection; outcome is temporary deferral, recorded from its source on 2026-08-06.

- **Criterion:** Cold, Flu
- **Blood service:** American Red Cross (US) _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Waiting period:** until symptoms resolve
- **Condition:** wait if you have a fever or a productive cough; wait until you have completed antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat or lung infection _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Outcome:** temporary deferral _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_

## What the source says

> Wait if you have a fever or a productive cough (bringing up phlegm). Wait if you do not feel well on the day of donation. Wait until you have completed antibiotic treatment for sinus, throat or lung infection.

## Source

- https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical.html

Last verified: 2026-08-06. Review by: 2027-02-02.
Part of [Blood donor deferral criteria compared across national blood services](https://referencesource.org/blood-donor-deferral-criteria/).