Local blood emergency declaration stresses importance of upcoming Day of Service Blood Drive
SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- A blood emergency declaration by Vitalant, the nation’s largest independent, nonprofit blood services provider, is stressing the importance of the upcoming Fifth Annual News Channel Day of Service Blood Drive.
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Vitalant is partnering with NewsChannel to host blood drives on Monday, Jan. 16 at the San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, and Santa Barbara Vitalant locations.
The drive comes just days after Vitalant declared the emergency across the nation at more than 900 hospitals, including 22 locally.
"Blood is critically low," said Vitalant Account Representative Beau Mercurio. "We like to keep a four day supply of blood and we're almost less than two days worth of supplies right now. On the Central Coast, we are definitely in a critical emergency need."
To help boost supply numbers, donors can take part in the blood drive, which will be held from noon to 7 p.m.
"It's the best way you can truly give back and volunteer and give back to your community and save lives," said Mercurio. "There's so many ways you can do it too. You can come to the center in Santa Maria, in San Luis Obispo, in Santa Barbara. There's also blood drives always going on. You can find all this information on our website. It's quite easy to come in and donate."
According to Vitalant, blood donations have decreased about 20% over the past three years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vitalant reports changes in the way people work, live and play since the start of the pandemic have created lasting challenges to maintaining an adequate blood supply.
Since 2019, the number of people donating with Vitalant at business-hosted blood drives has dropped by 50%, a decline of 90,000 donations. Overall, the number of people donating with Vitalant has dropped about 20% in the last three years..
The blood emergency declaration comes when blood supplies usually drop at the beginning of the year.
"January is a very, very difficult month for blood donations," said Mercurio. "There's a lot of reasons for it. With the weather, severe weather that we're experiencing here and all over the country, illnesses, vacations, time off for the kids. It's a very challenging month to get folks in here to donate."
Adding even more stresses on blood supplies has been this week's massive rainstorm. Due to the intensity and damage caused by the storm, several blood centers have had to close, plus several blood drives statewide have been cancelled.
For more information on the Fifth Annual News Channel Day of Service Blood Drive, click here.
