The American Red Cross has warned of a severe blood shortage across the United States after hospital demand outpaced available supplies, leading to a sharp reduction in blood products over the past month and raising the risk of delays to urgent medical care.
In a statement, the organisation said requests from hospitals have exceeded the available supply of blood, resulting in “about a 35% drawdown of blood products in the past month”. The shortage is described as particularly serious for platelets and several high-demand blood types, including O, A negative and B negative.
The warning comes as healthcare providers face growing seasonal pressures, with high levels of flu activity and severe winter conditions disrupting donation patterns and limiting collection capacity. The Red Cross said flu illness may be sidelining donors in nearly every state, slowing efforts to rebuild the national blood supply at a time when hospitals are already operating under strain.
Hospitals dealing with heightened patient volumes are now also being forced to carefully manage critical blood products, according to the organisation, as the combination of increased clinical need and reduced donations tightens supply. Without action to stabilise inventories, patients who rely on transfusions could face serious consequences.
The Red Cross said those most vulnerable include trauma victims, mothers in childbirth, and people living with sickle cell disease or cancer — groups for whom blood and platelet transfusions are often essential and time-sensitive.
The organisation urged eligible donors to make appointments immediately to help prevent treatment delays. It said: “There’s no time to wait — book an appointment to give blood or platelets now by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).”
Flu and winter weather drive operational disruption
While winter typically brings a seasonal decline in donations, the Red Cross said the current shortage has been worsened by widespread illness and significant weather disruption, creating a challenging environment for collection teams and local blood drives.
The organisation reported that about 400 blood drives were impacted by extreme winter weather in the past month alone, more than three times the number affected during the same period the previous year. It said the disruption left thousands of donations uncollected, tightening supplies further at a time when hospitals are requesting more blood products to support frontline care.
With freezing temperatures expected across large parts of the country in the coming weeks, the Red Cross warned that additional blood drives could be delayed or cancelled. It said every unit of blood can make a critical difference for clinicians, particularly when difficult decisions must be made over which patients receive transfusions and who may have to wait.
“Winter always puts pressure on the blood supply, and this year widespread flu and rough weather are making it even tougher,” said Paul Sullivan, senior vice president of Red Cross donor services. “If you’re able, now’s a great time to make and keep blood donation appointments, during National Blood Donor Month. Every donation can be a lifeline for a patient who isn’t able to hold off on critical care.”
Platelets remain a key pressure point, the Red Cross added, due to their short shelf life and their role in supporting patients undergoing cancer treatment, surgery, and emergency care. Maintaining steady platelet collections is essential to ensuring hospitals can respond quickly to critical needs.
Donor incentives introduced to support collections
To encourage donations during the current shortage, the Red Cross outlined a series of incentives designed to drive appointments and support collection levels through the winter period.
The organisation said donors who come forward in the near term will be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to Super Bowl LX in the San Francisco Bay Area. The prize package includes tickets to the event, access to official in-stadium pregame activities, entry to the Super Bowl Experience, round-trip airfare, a three-night hotel stay, and a $1,000 gift card for expenses.
In a separate initiative aimed at sustaining momentum beyond the immediate shortage, the Red Cross said donors who give during a later promotional window will receive a $20 electronic gift card to a merchant of their choice.
The Red Cross said it is urging individuals who are healthy and eligible to book and keep donation appointments where safe to do so, as the organisation works to restore stability to national blood inventories. With hospital demand continuing to exceed supply, the charity said timely donations will remain essential to ensuring patients can access transfusions without disruption.
