GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – As the country faces a severe blood shortage, the American Red Cross is asking those in Northeast Wisconsin to make an appointment to donate.
Donors of all blood types, especially type O and those giving platelets, are urged to make an appointment to give now and help ensure hospital shelves are stocked with blood products over the Fourth of July holiday and beyond.
Right now, the Red Cross is working to provide blood products to hospitals responding to an unusually high number of traumas and emergency room visits, as well as overdoses and resulting transplants.
As a result of the blood shortage, some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care.
Donors are needed now to prevent further delays to patient care.
Schedule an appointment to give blood by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
As a thank-you, all those who come to give July 1-6 will receive a Red Cross embroidered hat by mail, while supplies last. And, donors who come to give July 7-31 will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card by email, plus a chance to win gas for a year (a $5,000 value).
In most cases, those who received a COVID-19 vaccine can donate. However, knowing the name of the manufacturer of the vaccine they received is important in determining donation eligibility.
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