Have questions about blood donation? Here are some answers
Someone in the United States needs a blood transfusion about every two seconds. Blood donations play a critical role in maintaining the health of our communities, particularly in the winter when the blood supply tends to be at its lowest.
Claudia Cohn, a professor and director of the University of Minnesota Blood Bank Laboratory in the Medical School, discusses why donating blood is more important than ever.
Q: Why are there fewer blood donations during the winter?
Cohn: The blood supply is typically lower during winter months since blood donations often decrease because of the holidays, travel schedules, inclement weather and illness. But the need for blood still exists — victims of car accidents still arrive in emergency departments and cancer patients still require chemotherapy, both of which use life-saving blood transfusions.
Q: Who can donate blood?
Cohn: Healthy individuals over 16 can donate in most states (some states require donors to be 17), and there is no upper age limit.
The FDA sets guidelines based on the risk of transmitting bloodborne diseases. These guidelines evaluate all potential donors, regardless of gender or sexuality, with the same criteria. The new assessment includes an individual health history questionnaire that evaluates past and current behavior risks.
Q: Do vaccinations impact someone’s ability to donate blood?
Cohn: There are some live attenuated vaccines — which include a weakened form of viruses or bacteria — that require a two- or four-week deferral.
For example, the measles or mumps vaccine requires a two-week deferral, and the rubella vaccine requires a four-week deferral.
The FDA does not require a deferral on blood donations after a COVID-19 vaccine; however, some blood centers might implement a short-term (less than two weeks) deferral after someone has been vaccinated, as some people feel mildly ill after their shot.
You should never give blood if you are not feeling well.
Q: What impact do people make through donating blood?
Cohn: That’s easy to answer: They save a life! The Red Cross estimates that a blood transfusion occurs every two seconds in the U.S.
While some transfusions are not used in a life-or-death emergency, they are still needed to sustain life. Cancer patients often lose the ability to produce red blood cells or platelets during chemotherapy, so they absolutely need blood donors to keep them alive through their treatment.
And any motor vehicle accident or trauma victim who comes to the emergency room bleeding will need a transfusion. Blood donation is essential.
You can always find upcoming blood drives through the American Red Cross at redcross.org. Keep an eye out and consider donating if you’re able.
Information provided by the American Red Cross.
