Blood donation centers are sounding the alarm about a larger-than-average summer shortfall, especially in certain blood types.
The American Red Cross declared a nationwide “emergency blood shortage” after the number of units available for transfusion dropped 25% in June because of a combination of high need and a seasonal dropoff in donations. Hospitals are using about 3,500 more units per week than expected for this time of year, the organization said in a news release.
Summer is generally a tight time for the blood supply because regular donors may be on vacation and schools that host drives aren’t in session. In addition, people tend to get into more accidents in warmer months, and some of them require emergency transfusions.
The Red Cross doesn’t measure shortfalls by region, since it can ship donations across the country as needed.
Denver-based Vitalant said it faces a “critical shortage” of Type O blood in the region, including Colorado and Wyoming. People of all blood types need to make more than 3,500 blood donation appointments by the end of the month to make up for a shortfall in June, it said.
because it lacks certain surface proteins, making it the go-to in situations where someone needs blood immediately and the emergency workers don’t know their blood type.
The Red Cross also noted a need for donors with B-negative blood, which is one of the least common types. People with that blood type can only receive transfusions from other B-negatives or from O-negatives.
The Red Cross offered a free movie ticket with up to a $15 value for each donation, while Vitalant offered a T-shirt and a chance in a drawing for a car.
