For the French Blood Establishment, the situation is serious. Blood supplies are at their lowest in France. For several days, assures the EFS, “France is below the safety threshold“. For the first time in its history, it publishes a “Vital emergency bulletin“.
The Establishment appeals to all. He asks citizens to donate blood as soon as possible to get out of an area he deems “possibly dangerous in the short term“The EFS invites donors to make an appointment as soon as possible, over the next three weeks, on their website or on the Don de Sang app.
The situation is critical
The French Blood Establishment recalls that even during the past two years marked by the Covid health crisis, the blood necessary to treat patients has never been lacking in France. But today the EFS is worried.
“The stock of blood products has been below the safety threshold and has been for several days. 70,000 bags of red blood cells are now in reserve when 100,000 are needed“explains the EFS.
The years 2020 and 2021 have been very tense : collections had to be cancelled, donors were less mobilized, medical personnel were more difficult to recruit. The Omicron variant that spread like wildfire caused many donors to cancel their appointments.
Today we have to face because, recalls the EFS, “10,000 donations are needed every day to treat patients, the vast majority of whom find blood transfusions the only alternative for treatment“.
Blood donation and Covid: what you need to remember
You do not have need neither a vaccination pass nor a health pass to access a collection even if the collection sites are located in a hospital compound but, in addition to barrier gestures, wearing a mask remains compulsory.
If you have had symptoms of Covid-19, you should wait 14 days after symptoms disappear to donate blood or 14 days after testing positive.
You can donate blood immediately after being vaccinated against Covid-19. The vaccines used in France do not contain live virus capable of replicating and therefore do not pose a risk to recipients of blood products, specifies the EFS.
It is not you don’t need to be vaccinated to donate blood. The EFS welcomes all donors able to give, vaccinated and unvaccinated.