The American Red Cross said blood donations are urgently needed after the national blood supply fell to critical levels in August.
The Red Cross said blood supply fell 25% in August, “potentially threatening the medical care of patients with an emergency need for blood, or those living with critical conditions such as cancer and sickle cell disease and who depend on lifesaving blood transfusions.”
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“Back-to-back months of worsening climate-driven disasters have further strained the blood supply, resulting in blood drive cancelations and reducing much needed blood and platelet donations in affected areas.”
Right now, blood product distributions to hospitals are outpacing the number of blood donations. Approximately 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers across the country rely on the Red Cross to collect 12,5000 blood donations each day to meet the needs of their patients.
How to donate blood
Donors of all blood types are urgently needed, and there is an emergency need for platelet donors and type O blood donors to make an appointment to give now to ensure patients across the country continue to receive critical medical care.
---> To make an appointment to give blood or platelets, donors can use the Red Cross Blood App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
---> Click here to enter your zip code and find a Red Cross drive near your community
---> Click here to find a blood donation drive from HHS here
How is my blood used?
(From the Department of Health and Human Services)
If you donate blood, it will be given to someone who needs it through a transfusion. Transfusions help replace blood that is lost due to surgery or injury. Transfusions also help people with disorders that prevent them from making blood correctly. Blood transfusions are one of the most common procedures in U.S. hospitals.
There are different kinds of blood donation. Each one is used for a variety of life-saving procedures and treatments.
- Red blood cells are given to people who have blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease or chronic anemia caused by kidney failure or bleeding in the stomach. They are also given to people who have acute blood loss from trauma. Sometimes babies born very early need a transfusion to increase the number of red blood cells in their bodies.
- Platelets are most often used to treat cancer. They are also given to patients who have open-heart surgery and organ transplants.
- Plasma transfusions are used for patients with liver failure, bad infections, and serious burns.
- “Whole blood” is usually given to people who have life-threatening injuries or people in surgery.
What’s required to be a donor?
To keep the nation’s blood supply safe and to protect patients and donors, there are some requirements that donors must meet. Generally, donors must:
- Be 17 years of age or older, or 16 with parental consent.
- Weigh at least 110 pounds.
- Be in good health, feeling well, and not taking antibiotics. For example, your blood pressure and temperature must meet medical standards.
- Have last donated blood more than 8 weeks ago.
Some donation centers have additional medical, travel, and lifestyle considerations.
- Kinds of donations: Height and weight requirements may vary based on what kind of donation you choose (whole blood, platelets, double red cells, or plasma).
- Travel: If you traveled outside of the United States in the last 3 years, your travel destinations will be reviewed. Travel to certain areas may keep you from donating, depending on current public health concerns.
- Vaccinations: You may be required to wait a few weeks to donate blood after certain vaccinations. In most cases, you can still donate blood after getting a COVID-19 vaccine if you are symptom-free and feeling well at the time of your donation.
- Tattoos or piercings: You cannot donate blood if you got a tattoo or piercing in the last 3 months in some states. These states include the District of Columbia, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Wyoming.
- Health conditions: People with certain diseases or health conditions (e.g., sickle cell disease, HIV, cancer, malaria) may need to consult with their donation center to discuss eligibility. Additionally, you are not eligible to donate if you received a blood transfusion in the last 3 months.
- Sexual activity: Under the most recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines, commercial sex workers and men who have sex with men cannot donate blood unless they have abstained from sex for at least 3 months. This guidance will be changing after further FDA review.
- Injection drug use: You must abstain from any injection drug use for at least 3 months before donating blood.
If you have any questions or concerns about your eligibility to donate blood, contact your donation center. Help save the lives of people in your community by donating regularly.