In Manitoba, Canada, Health Canada has confirmed that three individuals have passed away following plasma donation over the past ten years. Two of these fatalities were reported to the federal regulator within a four-month period – one in October 2025 and the other on January 30, 2026. The timing of the third death was not disclosed by Health Canada.
All plasma collection facilities are required to report to the federal regulator if a donor experiences a severe reaction during or within 72 hours of donation. One of the deceased individuals was identified as Rodiyat Alabede, aged 22, who tragically died on October 25 after donating plasma at the Grifols Plasma Donation Centre on Taylor Avenue.
The second recent fatality in Winnipeg, which occurred in January, took place at Grifols’ Innovation Drive location. Health Canada was requested by CBC to provide data on fatal adverse reactions from January 1, 2016, onwards.
Dr. Ryan Zarychanski, a hematologist specializing in blood disorders in Manitoba, emphasized the need for a thorough investigation into these deaths. While deaths following plasma donation are rare, the clustering of these incidents raises concerns regarding protocol adherence, training, oversight, and donor selection.
Grifols, a company based in Spain that focuses on producing plasma medicines, operates numerous plasma collection centers in Canada. They have conducted an internal review and stated that there is no apparent link between the donors’ deaths and plasma donation based on available information.
Health Canada confirmed that the assessment of the recent deaths is ongoing and no direct connection has been established between plasma collection and the fatalities. Following inquiries from CBC News, Grifols announced a policy change on their website, requiring a minimum 48-hour interval between consecutive donations starting from March 9.
Health Canada specified that as of 2019, individuals were allowed to donate plasma twice within a seven-day span with a minimum two-day gap between donations. During a recent inspection, instances were found where plasma was collected less than 48 hours apart. Health Canada has since clarified to Grifols that the two-day interval must be a minimum of 48 hours.
