Blood Shortage Seen Nationally

(Press release)- The American Red Cross is facing a national blood crisis – its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a concerning risk to patient care. Doctors have been forced to make difficult decisions about who receives transfusions and who will need to wait until more products become available. Blood and platelet donations are critically needed to help prevent further delays in vital medical treatments.

The Red Cross has experienced about a 10% decline in the number of people donating blood since the pandemic began. At schools and colleges, the Red Cross saw a 62% drop in blood drives due to the pandemic. As a result, Gen Z, which accounted for nearly one-quarter of donors in 2019, made up just about 10% in 2021.

Supplying 40% of the nation’s blood, the Red Cross has had to limit blood distributions to hospitals in recent weeks. In fact, on certain days, some hospitals may not receive as much as one-quarter of the blood products requested. Blood cannot be manufactured or stockpiled and can only be made available through the kindness of volunteer donors.