National blood shortage drawing concerns from local blood providers

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Local blood providers are raising concerns as blood supplies are once again reaching critically low levels.

Earlier this week, the American Red Cross announced there is a national blood shortage in wake of back-to-back natural disasters and a critical summer shortfall.

According to the Red Cross, blood supplies have dropped nearly 25% over the past month since early August.

“We are sounding the alarm about the need for a safe and stable blood supply,” said Taylor Poisall, American Red Cross Regional Communications Director. “After the summer months of low blood donor turnout and the number of blood donations being distributed to the hospital outpacing the blood donations coming in.”

The shortage is causing potential danger for people who rely on donations, such as cancer and sickle cell disease patients, and others who depend on lifesaving blood transfusions, including trauma patients.

“It can delay procedures and people that need the blood, it definitely is very concerning right now,” said Vitalant Account Representative Beau Mercurio. “We just don’t know when we need the blood, so we just need more donors to get out and donate. It’s critical that they do and it’s uncertain when we need that blood and we just can’t get by on a couple of days of storage of blood because blood does last very long on the shelf. It expires, so we need regular donors on a regular basis.”

As blood supplies drop, Red Cross, as well as Vitalant, which is the one of the nation’s largest supplier of blood and blood services, are both asking the public to donate blood if they can.

“Help your community,” said Mercurio. “The blood that is donated here on the Central Coast stays in our community and our local hospitals, so keep that in mind. It doesn’t take that long, probably an average of 45 minutes from start to finish for the whole process.”

According to Mercurio, Vitalant has expereinced a 30% decline in donations since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020.

This past summer, he also pointed out there was a 15,000 fewer donations to Vitalant centers and blood drives.

“We’re just seeing enough donors and the normal donors that do come out, they are donating less often,” said Mercurio. “We’re certainly not at adequate levels in our blood bank nationwide and locally here on the Central Coast,

On Wednesday, in an effort to help boost local supplies, Vitlalant, along with Allan Hancock College, held the first of a two-day blood drive on the school’s Santa Maria campus.

The four-hour drive was located right in front of the school’s student center and was a big success as it attracted both first time and previous donors.

“Not everybody has the time, but to those who can do it, it’s definitely a nice thing to be able to donate blood and give to those who are in the critical need for it,” said student David Stone, who donated blood for the second time ever.

Some students were inspired to donate after hearing about the national shortage in class earlier this week.

“I feel like it is pretty scary because things happen all the time with natural disasters and day-to-day stuff and people are always in the hospital and there’s always a need for blood, so I think not having enough is a scary thing,” said student Marlene Aguilar, a first-time donor who was learned about the need for blood donations from one of her teachers.

Both Vitalant and the American Red Cross hold a number of blood drives at various locations around the Tri-Counties area. Donations are also accepted at blood centers for both organizations.

Allan Hancock College will host the second day of its two-day blood drive with Vitalant on Thursday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The blood drive is open to students, staff and members of the public.

For more information about Vitalant, click here, and for more information about the American Red Cross, click here.

---

For more from Dave, follow him on Twitter below:

Follow @DaveAlleyTV