The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently approved a submission from the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood (Lifeblood) to reduce the deferral period for donors of fresh blood products (e.g blood or platelets) who have recently received a tattoo.
This change means the deferral period for donors of fresh blood products is reduced from 4 months to 7 days from the time of the last tattoo, if the tattoo was received at a licensed/registered tattoo parlour or cosmetic clinic in Australia.
The 4 month deferral period remains in place for people who have received a tattoo at an unlicensed tattoo parlour in Australia or overseas.
Donors can continue to donate plasma straight away after a tattoo as long as the tattoo was received in a licensed/registered tattoo parlour or cosmetic clinic in Australia.
The submission was approved by the TGA on 8 May 2023 and was implemented by Lifeblood on 26 June 2023.
Further information is available at Lifeblood’s website, here and here.