Why Has Canada Paused Plasma Donations?

Why has Canada paused plasma donations after two Winnipeg deaths, and what do recent safety concerns mean for the country’s plasma supply?

Grifols has temporarily stopped plasma collection at all of its Canadian centres, putting a sudden pause on an operation that has become an important part of the country’s effort to increase its domestic supply of plasma.
Grifols is a global healthcare company that operates plasma donation centres in Canada. The company collects plasma from donors and uses it as a source for medicines and therapies that treat serious health conditions.

The decision comes months after two people died in Winnipeg after donating plasma at separate Grifols locations. While Health Canada has said it found no evidence linking the deaths to the plasma donation process, the cases have raised questions about donor safety, regulatory oversight and Canada’s growing reliance on paid plasma collection.

Grifols said the nationwide pause is temporary and comes amid what it described as “unfounded attention” surrounding the Winnipeg deaths. The company said it intends to resume collection when appropriate and in coordination with Health Canada and Canadian Blood Services.

Two Deaths Put Plasma Donation Under Scrutiny

The controversy began in Winnipeg, where two people died within several months of donating plasma at Grifols centres.

One of them was 22-year-old Rodiyat Alabede, who died on Oct. 25, 2025, after donating at the company’s Taylor Avenue location. The second death occurred on Jan. 30, 2026, following a donation at Grifols’ Innovation Drive centre.

The timing of the deaths immediately raised concerns among families, health advocates and the public.

However, investigators have been careful not to draw a causal connection where one has not been established. Health Canada completed its assessment and said there was no evidence that the donation process caused either death. The Manitoba chief medical examiner also said its investigation found no link between the two cases. That finding has not ended the debate.

What is Plasma Donation

Plasma donation is a process in which a person gives the liquid portion of their blood, known as plasma. During the procedure, blood is drawn from the donor and passed through a machine that separates the plasma from blood cells, which are returned to the donor (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Canadian Blood Services – Donating Plasma

Go to source

).

Plasma contains proteins, antibodies and other components used to make medicines for people with immune deficiencies, bleeding disorders and other serious conditions. Unlike whole-blood donation, plasma can generally be donated more frequently because the donor’s red blood cells are returned during the procedure.

Inspections Uncovered Broader Problems

Attention has also focused on Health Canada inspections of Grifols facilities.

The federal regulator placed new conditions on the company’s Canadian operations after inspections identified what it described as “recurring, systemic deficiencies.” Concerns included donor suitability assessments, the investigation of errors and accidents, staff training and operational procedures.

For critics, those findings have made the deaths more difficult to view as isolated incidents.

Healthcare advocacy groups have called for greater transparency and, in some cases, an end to paid plasma collection by private companies. They argue that people who depend on payments for basic expenses could feel pressure to donate regularly, creating an ethical question around the commercialization of a vital biological resource.

Grifols, meanwhile, has maintained that plasma donation is generally a low-risk procedure and that it is cooperating with regulators.

Why Canada Needs the Plasma

The issue matters because plasma is essential for manufacturing medicines, particularly immunoglobulins used by thousands of Canadians with immune deficiencies and other serious conditions.

Canada has been trying to increase the amount of plasma collected domestically as demand for these medicines grows (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Canadian Blood Services – Plasma and the Blood System Supply Chain

Go to source). In 2022, Canadian Blood Services entered into an agreement with Grifols to help expand Canada’s plasma collection capacity.

That agreement represented a significant shift.

For years, Canadian Blood Services had opposed paid plasma collection. But concerns about the global supply of plasma-derived medicines helped push Canada toward a model that includes both publicly collected plasma and compensated donations through Grifols.

The arrangement was intended to strengthen Canada’s supply. Now, the temporary shutdown has raised fresh questions about how that supply should be secured while maintaining public confidence.

A Pause, But Not an End To The Debate

Canadian Blood Services has said it supports Health Canada’s regulatory oversight and expects Grifols to address the corrective actions identified by the regulator. It has also stressed that demand for plasma remains high.

For donors, the immediate impact is straightforward: Grifols’ Canadian collection centres are temporarily closed to plasma donations.

For regulators, the challenge is more complicated. They must determine whether the deficiencies identified through inspections have been adequately addressed and whether additional safeguards are necessary before operations resume.

And for Canadians, the episode has reopened a much larger question.

Plasma can help produce medicines that patients desperately need. But the people who provide it need to know that their safety comes first.

The Grifols pause may therefore be temporary. The questions it has raised about paid plasma, corporate accountability and public trust are likely to last much longer.

References:

1. Canadian Blood Services – Donating Plasma – (https://www.blood.ca/en/plasma/donating-plasma)
2. Canadian Blood Services – Plasma and the Blood System Supply Chain – (http://www.blood.ca:8080//en/plasma/plasma-and-blood-system-supply-chain)

Source-Medindia