SEATTLE — The American Red Cross has declared a blood shortage emergency.
Red Cross officials say extreme heat and summer travel plans have drastically reduced donations. Since July 1, donations have fallen by 25%, with a critical need for type O blood donors.
July heat waves disrupted over 100 blood drives across the country, resulting in a shortfall of more than 19,000 donations. Hospitals still demand high levels of blood products, but type O blood inventories are critically low, forcing the Red Cross to reduce distributions.
The Red Cross is working with hospitals to meet these needs but stresses that public support is crucial to prevent impacting patient care.
To donate, individuals can use the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org, or call 1-800-RED CROSS. As an incentive, donors who give blood, platelets, or plasma from Aug. 1-31 will receive a $20 Amazon Gift Card via email. For more details, click HERE.