The blood bank Vitalant is urging blood donors to donate. They are providing more blood than they are receiving, on top of experiencing a recent increase in demand.
Blood bank Vitalant in Arizona currently only has a two-day supply of Type O blood, the lowest level since May 2020.
It also has a platelet shortage, and Vitalant’s Sue Thew says the recent demand for blood has come with an increase in surgeries that were rescheduled after the pandemic.
“In addition to surgery schedules increasing in hospitals, we are still experiencing about a 33% decline in blood donations because many organizations are still dealing with virtual workforces,” Thew said.
Vitalant is not requiring donors to wait to donate after receiving COVID-19 vaccine or flu shots.
