Oklahoma Blood Institute Facing Critical Blood Shortage

The Oklahoma Blood Institute said they are in desperate need of blood donors across the state to close the gap of the most imminent blood shortage it has had in years. Currently, the OBI said its blood supply is at only a one to two-day supply at most, meaning being out of blood is imminent.

Oklahoma has not been exempt from the nationwide blood shortage. The Oklahoma Blood Institute said the emergency low levels of donors in the past weeks combined with higher hospitalizations has put them in a critical place.

It extended donor center hours and are providing prize incentives to try to draw people in, but OBI CEO John Armitage said they need 1,200 people to donate daily to keep up with the demand and right now, they are barely getting 1,000 people a day.

He said if something isn’t done soon then the next person needing blood may not receive what they need to survive.

“This is a way that maybe you’re not a firefighter who is a first responder, maybe you’re not a police officer who is in the line of duty every day protecting your community, protect your community by coming down and giving some blood because right now that’s how thin we are our safety margin is zero,” Armitage said.

Armitage said there have been a lot of rumors circling about who can and ca not give blood after getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The short answer is that everyone can donate blood after having one of the three major vaccines. If you have received the Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson and Johnson vaccine, you can donate blood at any time and as often as you like.

Another rumor the OBI wants to debunk is the topic of donating convalescent plasma. If you have had a COVID-19 vaccine, the OBI said you need to wait a year before you donate because the antibodies in your blood are different than if you only had the virus itself.

The OBI asks that those who are not feeling well or are sick with COVID-19 do not come to their facilities to donate blood. They ask that you wait until you are feeling healthy to give blood.

If you would like to donate blood, you can find a donor site by Clicking Here.