Blood donations are down in Colorado, and Type O blood has become the most scarce, leading Vitalant to announce an emergency blood shortage in Colorado.
Type O blood donations dropped to an 18-month low in the state at Vitalant, a blood donation center that provides blood to 94 hospitals in Colorado.
Vitalant reported 7,500 fewer donations than needed after the Fourth of July holiday, which is on top of about 8,000 fewer donations than needed in June, according to a news release.
Vitalant isn’t the only donation center reporting a shortage of blood donations.
Children’s Hospital Colorado officials said they have a critical need for platelet donors and blood donors with "O" blood type, according to Jennifer Sipe, the Blood Donation Center operations supervisor at Children's Hospital Colorado.
Its Blood Donor Center currently has a one-day supply of platelets but it needs to have a three-day supply minimum to be able to meet patient needs, Sipe told The Denver Gazette via email.
The American Red Cross of Colorado also reported a greater need for blood donations, both within Denver and nationally.
“Really since the pandemic started, the Denver metro area has seen fewer blood donors and more need for blood donations,” said John Seward, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross of Colorado.
In January, the Red Cross announced a national emergency blood shortage, saying that it experienced the lowest number of people giving blood in the last 20 years, according to a news release.
Blood donations have been low all summer, but this is the first time in over a year that Vitalant has announced an emergency shortage, according to Vitalant Communications Manager Brooke Way.
“Extreme heat affecting much of the country and summer vacations are likely contributing to low donor turnout during ‘trauma season’ when injuries from outdoor activities can increase,” said a spokesperson for Vitalant in a news release.
“We know there’s a need for blood donations. We have a growing population, and more people means a greater need for blood. But we can’t be sure why fewer people are giving,” Seward told The Denver Gazette in an interview.
Type O negative blood is often called the "universal blood type" because it has the lowest risk of causing reactions for those who receive it, according to an article from Mayo Clinic.
Additionally, O positive blood can support anyone with a positive blood type, which is why it has a great demand, according to a Vitalant news release.
Blood and platelet donors — especially those with Type O blood — are critically needed right now to support lifesaving transfusions, according to Catie Ballenger, the Regional Communications director for the Red Cross in Colorado.
If you want to donate blood, you can search for a blood donation center near you on the website of America’s Blood Centers under “Find a Blood Center.”
Thousands of donation appointments are also available at Vitalant donation centers and community blood drives, and the organization urges donors of all blood types, especially those with type O, to schedule an appointment.
To help encourage donations and overcome the shortage, through July 27, donors will automatically be entered in a new car giveaway.
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