New Zealand Blood Service to GPs: We want your recently recovered chickenpox, shingles patients

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) is calling on GPs to encourage patients who have recently recovered from chickenpox or shingles to make a blood or plasma donation, as their plasma has special antibodies that could be used to make a lifesaving treatment.

Chickenpox may be a mild infection for one person but has the potential to be a life-threatening infection for another. This includes children with cancer and pregnant women.

NZBS makes a special treatment called Zoster Immunoglobulin to help prevent these vulnerable groups catching chickenpox. The immune system medication is made from the antibodies found in the plasma of healthy people who’ve recently had shingles or chickenpox.

Zoster Immunoglobulin provides protection against the virus which causes chickenpox – varicella-zoster virus – for three main groups: Non-immune individuals who are immunosuppressed, non-immune pregnant woman, and babies.

NZBS is asking doctors, healthcare providers, and medical practitioners to help identify eligible donors among recovering patients who could be suitable candidates to donate plasma.

The service needs a minimum of 220 litres of plasma to manufacture Zoster, and so far, this year, it has collected 34% of the plasma needed. With the average plasma collect from a donor yielding 0.48L, NZBS has six months to collect a further 145L to replace the expiry of its current Zoster stock.

Patients who have recently had chickenpox or shingles are eligible to donate if:

• They are aged between 16 and 71 for new plasma donors (or up to 81 for current plasma donors)
• They weigh at least 50kg and are at least 150cm tall
• It’s been four weeks since the start of their illness
• They are feeling well
• Their rash is dry and clean
• And they meet all other donor eligibility criteria.

Those who have had the shingles/chickenpox vaccine or been in contact with someone who has had shingles or chickenpox within the last six months may also be able to help.

Plasma can be donated at NZBS’ donor centres across New Zealand and select plasma mobile drives in Auckland and Wellington. Appointments can be booked online at nzblood.co.nz, via the NZ Blood Service Donor App or by phoning 0800 448 325.

More information can be found at the Related Link below.