You woke up with a sore throat on donation day. Reschedule, and here’s why that’s the system working, not you failing. Blood given by someone fighting an infection is blood that can pass problems to a patient whose immune system is already losing a fight. Sick-day deferrals protect the most vulnerable people in the building.
Fever, the clear two weeks
Fever means your body is actively fighting something. The standard deferral: wait about two weeks after full recovery, no lingering symptoms. Whatever the cause (flu, dengue, typhoid, an unknown bug) the clock starts when you’re properly well, not when the fever first breaks.
Cold and cough, declare, then decide
A mild cold without fever is a judgement call, and the centre makes it: declare your symptoms at the confidential checklist. Commonly you’ll be asked to wait until you’re clearly well, mostly because a donation on a fighting-immune-system day is rough on you, and sniffles can be the top of something more.
Antibiotics, finish, recover, return
On antibiotics means recently infected. The typical deferral: 5–14 days after completing the course, and fully well. Taking the last tablet is not the finish line, the infection resolving is.
The recoveries that need real time
Some infections carry longer deferrals because of how long they can linger in the body, malaria (months, and very relevant in Assam), dengue recovery (until cleared by your doctor), hepatitis histories (permanent deferrals for some). Declare your history; the centre’s list decides. Travel and malaria →
Why “just this once” is never fine
A transfused patient is often immunocompromised, cancer treatment, post-surgery, a newborn. An infection that barely touches you can devastate them. Your deferral is one of the few absolute kindnesses in medicine: a small delay for you, a safe unit for them.
When you’re well again, the register is exactly where you left it. Register →
Explore
The full eligibility hub → · vaccinations and donation → · all deferrals →