The American Red Cross is urging donors with type O blood to Donate.
The organization is extending its urgent call for all donors of all blood types to give blood or platelets.
Since influenza is preventing some donors from giving and winter weather is threatening to cancel blood drives, the Red Cross has a critical shortage of type O blood and urgently needs donors to restock the shelves.
Currently, the Red Cross has less than a three-day supply of type O blood available for patient emergencies and medical treatments.
Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type.
Although only 7% of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, it can be transfused to patients with any blood type.
And hospital staff typically reaches for type O blood when there is no time to determine the patient’s blood type.
Donors of all blood types-especially O positive and O negative- are urged to make an appointment to give blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-733-2767, or by enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo Device.
Upcoming blood donation opportunities include:
- Monday, January 27th, from 3 to 7 pm at Dale United Methodist Church
- Monday, January 27th, from 2 to 7 pm at Luce Elementary School in Richland
- Tuesday, January 28th, from 2 to 6 pm at First Baptist Church in Princeton
- Thursday, January 30th, from 1 to 6 pm at Lincoln Trail Elementary in Lamar
- Thursday, January 30th, from 1 to 6 pm at Santa Claus Methodist Church in Santa Claus
- Monday, February 3rd from 2 to 7 pm at the American Legion Hall in Ferdinand
- Wednesday, February 5th, from 1 to 6 pm at the Jasper Library
- Thursday, February 6th from 2 to 6 pm at Free Methodist Church in Washington
- Thursday, February 6th from 11 am to 4 pm at St. Meinrad School of Theology in Saint Meinrad
- Sunday, February 9th from 8 am to 12 noon at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Dubois
- Monday, February 10th from 2 to 7 pm at Mackey Community Blood Drive in Oakland City
