From the KBIA Health and Wealth Desk, I’m Rebecca Smith.
A recent study published in the journal Transfusion found a growing number of patients and parents are requesting blood from donors who have not received COVID-19 vaccines. Blood centers, however, do not label or track blood donations by vaccination status. KBIA's Najifa Farhat spoke with Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers, a nonprofit network that operates more than 600 blood collection sites across the United States and Canada, about the trend and what it means for the nation's blood supply.
Najifa Farhat: Is Unvaccinated Blood Medically Different From Other Donated Blood?
Kate Fry: So from a pure medical clinical standpoint, there is no such thing as unvaccinated blood. is largely a term that's come about in popular culture to classify blood that comes from donors who have largely not received the COVID-19
There is no evidence whatsoever that indicates there's any additional risk from blood donated by individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
mRNA vaccines. So we've been seeing it largely for the last few years coming out of the pandemic.
Najifa Farhat: So is there any scientific indication that vaccinated blood can be harmful?
Kate Fry: No. Not in terms of blood donation and the ability for the vaccines to transfer through blood donation. There is no evidence whatsoever that indicates there's any additional risk from blood donated by individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
Najifa Farhat: What should patients know before receiving a blood transfusion?
Kate Fry: I think the most important thing for people to know is that your blood is safe, right? A blood donation uh is a safe thing to do for the donor and blood transfusions are safe for patients. And so, uh you know, the blood supply is the safest it has ever been. All blood centers in the US blood supply, we have rigorous regulated protocols in place to ensure that we are protecting patients and screening every single unit of blood that's donated. And so this is a multi-step process that is in place. All blood centers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.
Najifa Farhat: What happens when a patient requests blood from a specific donor rather than accepting blood from the general supply?
Kate Fry: These kinds of personal preferences in terms of the blood that an individual would receive uh pose risk both for the operational uh availability of blood for all patients. It's time that blood centers would have to spend complying with an individual request that's not medically warranted takes them away from the ability to ensure that blood is available for all patients in need. They also pose risk to the individual patient in terms of delay of blood availability and potential transfusion related complications.
Najifa Farhat: What should patients do if they have concerns about receiving donated blood?
Kate Fry: We urge individuals with any concerns about blood transfusion to speak to a transfusion medicine, uh a trained transfusion medicine specialist or their referring physician just to understand the information. We understand that blood transfusions can be a little frightening for many individuals.
Right now, only 3 % of Americans donate blood, despite 65 % of Americans being eligible to do so. And so we consistently see blood inventories lower than ideal amounts in order to respond to both routine and emergency patient needs. And so it is critical that every eligible individual consider donating blood and know that it is safe to do so.
And so that's why it's so important to talk to a transfusion trained medical professional or your attending physician about the risks and any concerns about blood transfusions.
Najifa Farhat: Do you see this trend posing any public health challenges going forward?
Kate Fry: The only reason it would become a public health issue would be if somehow it would limit the availability of blood for all patients in need. Right now, only 3 % of Americans donate blood, despite 65 % of Americans being eligible to do so. And so we consistently see blood inventories lower than ideal amounts in order to respond to both routine and emergency patient needs. And so it is critical that every eligible individual consider donating blood and know that it is safe to do so.
That was KBIA’s Najifa Farhat, speaking with Kate Fry, CEO of America’s Blood Centers discussing the rise in requests for blood from unvaccinated donors.
From KBIA Health and Wealth Desk, I’m Rebecca Smith.
