Vitalant appeals for blood donors amid dire blood shortage
Southwestern Pennsylvania – and the country – is facing a dire blood shortage, and Vitalant is asking people to donate blood.
Patient needs for blood have depleted Vitalant’s supply by nearly 50% since the start of summer, the nonprofit blood service provider announced.
The situation is expected to worsen as the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, when fewer blood donors are usually available.
Vitalant, which provides blood services to Allegheny Health Network, UPMC, and several independent hospitals, urges all eligible donors to schedule an appointment now for the coming days and weeks.
Vitalant needs about 600 blood donations every day to provide hospitals with the blood they need to treat their patients.
“Hospitals need people to donate during these critical weeks,” said Vitalant Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Dr. Ralph Vassallo. “Patient blood needs don’t conform to a predictable schedule. Several patients may experience emergencies, while a planned surgery could suddenly require dozens of units of blood for one patient. Hospitals must have blood available to take care of everyone.”
Donations matter: They could help a family member, friend, neighbor, or a stranger.
Type O blood, which is the most frequently transfused blood type, is in critically short supply. In recent days, O-positive blood has frequently fallen to just one-day’s supply, Vitalant said.
Appointments for all blood types are needed to reach a sufficient four-day supply of all blood types.
The Food and Drug Administration recently changed blood donation eligibility requirements to allow anyone who had traveled to France, Ireland, or the United Kingdom to donate blood.
Previously, travelers to those locations weren’t allowed to donate blood due to the risk of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or mad cow disease.
To make an appointment, check if you’re eligible to donate, or find a blood drive near you, please visit vitalant.org or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).
Among the places to donate are WHS Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center.
Upcoming drives will be held at the wellness center on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 8:45 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesday, Sept. 14, from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.