GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) — The Red Cross says they’re in crisis mode.
That’s due to a lack of blood supply, stemmed from a lack of donations and lower turnout at blood drives.
“Through January alone, we have 60% of our blood donation appointments open, unfilled,” explained Justin Kern with the Red Cross of Wisconsin. “That puts us in a spot where we’re concerned.”
They’ve dropped in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Some of our drives we’ve had to delay or postpone. It’s made it so that some of our drives aren’t able to happen, like our college drives and our school drives,” Kern said. “About a quarter of our donors two years ago were from the ‘Gen Z’ population, and that has dropped precipitously.”
They’ve dropped in part due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The inability to schedule donation drives at high schools and colleges, and cancellations elsewhere, have taken a toll.
The inability to schedule donation drives at high schools and colleges, and cancellations elsewhere, have taken a toll.
Kern says some doctors are being forced to decide which patients get blood transfusions and which patients wait.
Those who donate blood in January will have the chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl. You can make an appointment to give at RedCrossBlood.Org.
