For students 16 years and over only.

New Zealand Blood Service will be holding a mobile blood drive at Massey High School on Monday 26 August between 9am and 2pm.

New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS) encourages students to make a lifetime habit of donating blood, providing a valuable and worthwhile contribution to their community.

The Care of Children Act 2004 allows people 16 years and over to make their own decisions about whether or not they wish to give blood.

Students may choose to donate blood at this session. NZBS recommends that students discuss becoming a blood donor with their family. If families have a particular objection to the student choosing to donate blood, please make this known to the student and to the school (email to Mrs Head) by 19 August 2024.

More information about blood donation will be available on the day of the blood drive.

NZBS respects the privacy of all donors and recommends conversations around blood donor eligibility is carried out sensitively. If you require any further information, please call 0800 GIVE BLOOD (0800 448 325) or visit www.nzblood.co.nz

Becoming a blood donor

• Age - First time donors 16 to 70 years of age
• Height /Weight - Weigh at least 50kg. First-time donors under 25 years of age must also meet the height and weight criteria. Use this calculator on the NZBS website at www.nzblood.co.nz to find out if you can donate.

Health

• You must be in good health.
• You cannot donate if you have a cold, flu, sore throat, cold sore, stomach bug or any other infection.
• You must wait 3 months following a tattoo or piercing before you can donate. If a piercing was performed by a registered health professional (G.P, pharmacist, etc), you may be eligible to donate after 12 hours.
• If you have recently visited the dentist, you must wait at least 24 hours following a minor procedure (cleaning, fillings or braces) or until you have recovered before donating. For complex procedures, such as tooth extraction, please wait at least 7 days after your procedure and any antibiotic treatment.

Travel

If you have been overseas recently, please refer to the "Donating after Travelling" tool available at www.nzblood.co.nz to find out when you can donate.

Food

You must have eaten some food during the four hours prior to donation.

Identification

You need to bring suitable identification with you.  Examples of ID are driver's licence, birth certificate or passport.  A Student ID Card is acceptable if it features your full name, date of birth and a photograph.  With your consent we may also ask the school to confirm you are atleast 16 years of age.

Important facts about blood

• Each donation can help save up to 3 people - blood donors are literally lifesavers!
• There is no substitute for human blood - healthy donors are the only source of our blood supply.
• Around 30,000 patients are treated with blood or blood products in New Zealand each year.
• A blood donation is separated into different components, each of which is used to treat different patients - accident trauma, patients undergoing surgery, people with leukaemia, transplant patients and many others. Blood products are also used for immunisation to help prevent diseases such as hepatitis A and B, tetanus and chickenpox.