Red Cross Declares Emergency Blood Shortage as Supply Falls 25%

The American Red Cross has declared an emergency blood shortage after the national blood supply fell by nearly 25% in June. Blood donors are urgently needed to help ensure patients receive lifesaving medical care without delay.

The shortage comes amid the summer trauma season, a period between Memorial Day and Labor Day when the need for blood to treat traumatic injuries often increases. Currently, Red Cross blood distributions to hospitals are approximately 3,500 units higher per week than anticipated. A steep decline in blood donations since late May has created a widening gap between supply and patient needs.

All blood types are needed. The shortage is particularly critical for types O positive and B negative blood, as well as AB plasma. Without immediate action from donors, patients requiring transfusions—including trauma victims, mothers in childbirth, and individuals with sickle cell disease or cancer—face significant risks.

Recent survey results highlight a gap between public perception and the reality of blood supply. Fewer than one in five respondents understood that blood cannot be stockpiled due to its limited shelf life. Only about half believed they or someone close to them would likely need blood one day, despite a transfusion occurring every two seconds in the U.S.