COVID vaccine skeptics could request blood from unvaccinated donors under Tennessee bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Blood donations are considered the gift of life, but one Tennessee lawmaker wants to give those who need a transfusion more of a choice in the gift they get.

Republican Sen. Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald) filed a bill that would require blood donors to disclose whether they received the COVID-19 vaccine so people who need a blood transfusion can choose between blood from vaccinated and unvaccinated donors in non-emergency situations.

He told News 2 that he got the idea from several of his constituents who were concerned about taking the COVID-19 vaccine and didn’t want to receive blood from someone who had been vaccinated against the virus, despite zero scientific evidence saying it causes any negative outcomes.

However, only the antibodies a person produces in response to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, not the vaccine itself, may be present in the bloodstream, according to experts.

In addition, Dr. Jennifer Andrews, a professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the blood bank medical director at Vanderbilt said there is zero scientific evidence of any negative impacts from receiving blood from a donor who has been vaccinated against COVID-19.