Red Cross Blood Drive August 25

The American Red Cross in cooperation with the Maplewood Health and Recreation Depts. and US Army recruiters will hold a blood drive at The Woodland, 60 Woodland Road in Maplewood, on Tuesday August 25 from 2:30pm until 7:30pm. The late afternoon hours will hopefully allow people to donate who might otherwise be at work. Donating blood and blood products is a life saving gift and always is in short supply. Contact the Maplewood Health Dept. if there are any questions.

Bump: Hope that if you can donate that you will find the time to donate. During the year, many organizations hold blood drives locally, so if you miss this one, you can donate at another one. One way to find donation days is to contact the American Red Cross at michelle.spevak@redcross.org for info or if you want to plan a donation day at your workplace.

Bump for next week.

Bump for August 25.

Thanks to the many people who donated blood so far. If you still want to donate, stop by The Woodland at 60 Woodland Road just off of Maplewood Ave. The Red Cross will there till 7:30.

If you follow the public health news, you will see that 25% of the people in Puerto Rico are expected to be infected with Zika by the end of the year.   While the most immediate consequence is the danger to unborn babies, there is at least one secondary bad consequence.   People infected with Zika cannot donate blood.  Many people want to donate when there is an immediate tragedy such as a hurricane.   This Zika epidemic is like a slow moving hurricane.   Please help our fellow Americans and donate at this donation clinic or at another one.   Call me at the Health Dept. if you have any questions.   973-762-8120 x4400.  

Two questions that are apt to be asked frequently:

Since it has been reported that most persons contracting Zika have only mild symptoms which I assume can be largely ignored or confused with some other mild illness, how would a person know, short of testing which they might not get, whether they have had Zika?

Is this a life time ban or has a specific time duration been set after which they can donate blood once again?

from Bob Roe:   All good questions Joan:   1.  There is evidence that Zika, like other mosquito borne viruses can be transmitted by blood.  2.  Blood donation samples collected from Puerto Rico already demonstrate the rise of this viral illness.   3.  Blood centers are now deferring blood donors, (turning down), people who have been to Zika infested areas in recent weeks.  4.  The American Red Cross is already shipping blood to Puerto Rico to help with this crisis.    5. I think the current ban is 4 weeks to donate blood after having been to a Zika infested area. This may change as more knowledge is found.  6.   It is not a lifetime ban.     Now is the time to donate for our friends, family and  fellow Americans in need.  

Thanks for the prompt and complete reply.  4 weeks is not bad deferral period.  Hopefully, it holds. Situation in PR is really dire.  Glad red cross is able to help get blood supplies there.

Bump for the weekend

Thank you to the 36 people who donated and also to those who arrived but could not donate.  These 36 units of blood will help 96 hospital patients.  

If you were not able to donate at this event, please find another time to donate.   it is a good thing to do.  

I thought the blood drive was on the 25th? (Tomorrow)

From Bob Roe:  Yes, I see my mistake.  Sorry.   Please donate when you can.  

Thanks, Robert. No worries, I will donate again at another drive.

The VFW Post in Nutley (Washington Avenue) frequently holds its blood drive on the 4th Thursday of the month (which would be today) from 3:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Since dates/times may have changed since I was administering it, I would call ahead to verify they are holding one today.  A search for VFW Post, Nutley, NJ should produce the address and phone number.