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The Medical Center - University of Freiburg is asking blood donors for support during the Advent season / Christmas market voucher for blood donors

The Blood Donation Center at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg is calling on healthy people aged 18 and over to donate blood during the Advent season. Experience shows that the number of donations decreases during the winter months, while the need at the hospital remains the same. As a thank you, donors will receive a mulled wine or punch voucher for the Freiburg Christmas market until Tuesday, December 23, 2025 .

"We traditionally count fewer donations in December. Waves of colds and busy schedules lead to bottlenecks every year," says Prof. Dr. Richard Schäfer, Senior Physician at the Institute of Transfusional Medicine and Genetherapy at the Medical Center - University of Freiburg. "That's why every single donation counts. It enables treatments that could not take place without sufficient blood reserves and is a gift that comes from the heart in the truest sense of the word."

Christmas thank you for the donation

By donating blood at the beginning of December, donors can help to keep the supply stable over the holidays. After all, the red blood cells obtained from blood donations can be stored for several weeks. As a small thank you, all donors will receive a voucher for a mulled wine or punch from Badischer Winzerkeller at the Freiburg Christmas market until Tuesday, December 23, 2025.

"Despite the shortage, safety still comes first, of course," emphasizes Schäfer. "People with a flu-like infection, i.e. a cold or sore throat, are not allowed to donate blood." If you have an infection without a fever, you can donate again one week after you have recovered. Anyone who has had a body temperature of more than 38.5 degrees must wait four weeks before donating blood again.

All healthy people aged 18 and over and weighing at least 50 kilograms can donate; there is no longer an upper age limit. The new online blood donation pre-check can be used to check whether a donation is currently possible. It includes twenty common deferral and exclusion criteria and provides an initial assessment.

Anyone who would like to help twice over can also be registered in the Freiburg stem cell database when donating blood. On request, a small amount of blood can also be taken for typing during the donation.

Current information and appointments: www.blutspende-uniklinik.de

Blood donation opening hours:
Monday and Tuesday | 8 am - 3 pm
Wednesday and Thursday | 12 pm - 7 pm
Friday and Saturday | 8 am - 1 pm
The blood donation center is closed on public holidays and on December 24 and 31.