INDIANA – The American Red Cross has declared only the second national blood supply crisis in its history after blood donations fell to a four-year summer low, deepening an emergency shortage that threatens the availability of lifesaving blood for patients across the country.
Despite thousands of people answering the call to give, blood donations are not keeping pace with hospital demand — which is up during the summer trauma season. Extreme heat, poor air quality and widespread foodborne illnesses are contributing to lower donor turnout this summer, further straining the nation’s blood supply.
As the nation’s largest single provider of blood products, the Red Cross now has less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood — the most commonly transfused blood type. To help ensure blood is available for patients facing the most critical, life-threatening emergencies across the country, the Red Cross has begun limiting distributions of type O blood to individual hospitals.
These blood supply challenges are being felt across the U.S. blood community. Many blood collectors have also reported critical shortages this summer.
Just three more donors at each blood drive this summer can end this crisis and stabilize the blood supply. Book an appointment to give blood now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
A Second National Blood Supply Crisis
January 2022 is the only other time that the Red Cross declared a national blood crisis. Since then, the organization has put several prevention measures in place, such as enhancing planning with hospitals for their ongoing needs. But this summer’s elevated demand and persistent collections challenges have still pushed the national blood supply to crisis levels.
“The Red Cross takes its responsibility as the nation’s largest single provider of blood products incredibly seriously and has worked tirelessly to strengthen the blood supply for our hospital partners,” said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Following our first-ever national blood crisis in 2022, we put additional safeguards in place to help prevent a crisis like that from happening again. But this summer, blood donations simply are not keeping pace with hospital demand, and inventories — especially type O blood — remain under significant strain. Every donation has the potential to help save lives, and we urgently need everyone who is eligible to make an appointment to give blood as soon as possible.”
