Nonprofit blood services provider Vitalant has a blood emergency after its blood supply fell nearly 50% from the beginning of the summer and urges all eligible donors to make an appointment to donate and help replenish the blood supply. As a special thanks for donating around the Labor Day weekend, those who come donate Sept. 1-8 will receive an exclusive Vitalant T-shirt redeemable by email.
All blood types are needed, especially the most commonly transfused type O. Emergency room personnel reach for O-negative when there is not time to determine a patient’s blood type, and O-positive can help anyone with Rh-positive blood.
National Blood Donation Week is Sept. 1 - 7
Sept. 1-7 is National Blood Donation Week, raising awareness of the constant need for blood donations.
Check Eligibility, Make an Appointment
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently updated its donor eligibility guidance. Donors previously ineligible to give blood due to travel risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), also known as mad cow disease, can now donate if they meet all other eligibility requirements. Review eligibility and make an appointment to give by visiting vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).