Alaska is in the midst of its worst shortage of donated blood in at least the last 15 years according to the Blood Bank of Alaska.
During Alaska's summer, there’s typically a higher demand for blood, which is given to patients in transfusions and can save lives, Blood Bank CEO Bob Scanlon said.
The state has typically relied on the national supply to address higher seasonal demand, but this summer, partly because of big national events like the FIFA World Cup, Scanlon said things look different.
"The blood banks around the country are, for lack of better terminology, hoarding their blood and blood products, because nobody has enough anywhere in the country," he said. "So, they're saving whatever they can to meet any unexpected demand due to a mass casualty event."
A mass casualty event could be anything from a plane crash to a bus accident, Scanlon said. But blood is used for much more than emergency responses to traumatic injuries. It's used more often, he said, for everyday medical needs like birth complications or heart surgery.
Alaska’s shortage is also worsened by declining numbers of Americans giving blood, Scanlon said.
"The World War II generation (and the) Korean War generation, who were a large portion of the donor base, they're aging out, and we're shifting to different demographic ages to make up for that shortfall," he said. "And we have a lot of wonderful people, particularly here in Alaska, that have done that."
Many Alaskans have stepped up to help fill the need, Scanlon said. He encouraged more people to give blood if they can, saying those who donate get to not only invest in saving someone's life, they also get juice and cookies.
