Hawaiʻi has no more than a one-week supply of red blood cells and a three-day supply of platelets available for transfusions at any given time, the Blood Bank of Hawaii said. As the summer months bring fewer donations, donors are still needed.
Some people have voiced concerns surrounding blood donations and the COVID-19 vaccine. The Conversation talked to Kim-Anh Nguyen, CEO of the Blood Bank of Hawaii to learn more.
Recently vaccinated people are perfectly safe to donate blood and there is no wait time, Nguyen said.
"We actively welcome blood donors who have been vaccinated, and we ourselves at the Blood Bank of Hawaii are vaccinated to protect the health and safety of our donors as well as ourselves," she said.
For unvaccinated folks who might have a concern with the blood products, she said, "Right now there's no data to support that there's a risk or a concern."
"If there's a concern about whether the mRNA or the virus goes in the blood, I can allay those concerns. There's no virus that goes into the blood," she said. "The mRNA vaccines don't have virus in it."
Because Hawaiʻi schools are on break and people are traveling, Nguyen said blood collections usually dip about 15% in the summer. Hospitals are also busier than ever with their backlog of procedures—the pandemic created pent-up demand.
"There is an increase of demand for blood, not just in Hawaiʻi, but all throughout the nation," she said. "So if we are short in Hawaiʻi, we cannot rely on imports from the mainland. Hawaiʻi has to take care of Hawaiʻi's needs."
On any given day, the state has no more than a one-week supply of red blood cells and a three-day supply of platelets for transfusions, she said.
"We must have 150 to 200 donors walk in our doors and roll up their sleeves every day."
Want to become a donor? Click here. This segment aired on The Conversation on July 15, 2021.
