Red Cross issues emergency warning over nation's blood supply

Chris Benson
·2 min read
UPI
Manufacturing Tech Delaysia Henry inspects a packet of blood in a near empty cooler at the Red Cross blood donation center in St. Louis in 2022. On Monday, the American Red Cross declared a nationwide blood shortage as supplies in the United States continue to drop. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI

Jan. 8 (UPI) -- As National Blood Donor Month begins its second week, the American Red Cross is warning about a blood supply emergency in the United States.

The Red Cross -- the biggest U.S. blood supplier -- said in a release Sunday that the number of U.S. blood donors has hit a 20-year all-time low. Now the Red Cross is asking the public for blood and platelet donations in an effort to help ease shortages and ensure life-saving medical procedures can go on without any delay.

"One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products," Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, stated in the release.

Blood donations have fallen by 40%, the Red Cross said. In 2022, the Red Cross dealt with its worst blood shortage in over 10 years and at the time had to limit blood product distribution to hospitals.

Extra challenges are ahead as cold weather and other illnesses -- such as the flu and various strains of COVID-19 -- are expected to alter future donor turnout which in turn will make the blood supply problem worse.

In January 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration first proposed loosening blood donation restrictions based on a donor's gender and sexual orientation as the U.S. blood shortage continued to get worse.

In May the same year, the FDA did drop those restrictions in a move that was long pushed by public health experts and gay rights activists. Months later in August, the American Red Cross changed their policies by following FDA recommendations to allow gay and bisexual men to donate blood.

The Red Cross and the National Football League are partnering this month to urge individuals to kick off 2024 with a blood, platelet or plasma donation in January. Those who donate will be entered to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.