The American Red Cross is urging Vermonters to donate blood after a nationwide emergency shortage this summer.
“A steady increase in lifesaving blood products is vital to ensuring hospitals stay ready for any situation this fall,” the Red Cross of Northern New England said in a statement last week. The organization said it needs a strong supply of blood products on hand for potential emergencies and daily patient needs.
In August, the American Red Cross announced that its national inventory dropped 25% in July. The organization said it’s facing the fewest number of donors in the past two decades.
It’s normal for blood donation rates to drop during the summer months, Red Cross regional communications manager Dan Dowling told VTDigger, but blood drives this year were especially impacted by “severe weather, the heat (and) a couple of bad storms.”
Now, “schools are back in session, so we’re starting to see those high school drives back,” Dowling said. “Those are always good to get people back into the routine of giving blood.”
After the Covid-19 pandemic, those in-person drives at high schools and colleges have been important to introduce students to blood donation, Dowling said, and for getting people in the habit of donating up to every 56 days.
Vermont hospitals collectively need about 80 units of blood each day to meet demand, according to Dowling. The Red Cross is a national blood supplier, so donations in Vermont are transported to where they’re needed most across the country.
Downing said patients assume blood will be available to them when needed. Demand is always high, however, and donations are crucial for access. Someone needs a blood transfusion every 2 seconds, and 40% of that blood comes from the Red Cross.
For first-time donors, Dowling suggests bringing a friend along and using the opportunity to talk to new people.
“It can be a social experience,” he said.
The Red Cross offers tips on what to do before, during and after donating blood, including eating iron-rich foods, getting a good night’s sleep and drinking extra water.
“The whole process of donating blood takes about an hour,” Dowling added, but your time in the donation chair only takes about 10 minutes. “Having known that you’re making a difference is a great motivating tool as well.”
Potential donors can make an appointment online to donate at the Red Cross’ Vermont chapter in Burlington or at local drives across the state.
