<p>FDA is making donor deferral changes that impact hundreds of thousands of individuals who were previously unable to donate blood. There is an immediate need for federal funding that can be used locally by blood centers to amplify their education and awareness efforts to welcome back impacted donors, ensuring current and future patient needs are met.</p>

Ask Congress to Support Funding to Promote Awareness of New Eligibility Criteria for Blood Donors

FDA is making donor deferral changes that impact hundreds of thousands of individuals who were previously unable to donate blood. There is an immediate need for federal funding that can be used locally by blood centers to amplify their education and awareness efforts to welcome back impacted donors, ensuring current and future patient needs are met.

This week is Blood Advocacy Week, a collaborative initiative of America’s Blood Centers that is bringing together members of the blood community, advocates, providers, patients, and more to advance policies that promote the value of blood to patients, communities, and our healthcare system. One of the most pressing issues facing the blood supply is the need for Congressional support to ensure that all donors recently made eligible to donate based on evidence based changes made by FDA are aware of these changes and able to connect with their local blood center. 

All U.S. blood centers are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and must adhere to their donor eligibility policies. These policies change as new scientific knowledge, data, and technology become available. Recently, FDA has made donor eligibility changes that impact hundreds of thousands of individuals who were previously unable to donate blood. These changes include the removal of the indefinite deferral for risk of potential exposure to Mad Cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), and an anticipated  finalized guidance  that would establish blood donor screening based on individual risk assessments, not sexual orientation.

When FDA changes to donor eligibility occur, blood centers must undertake extensive changes, including updating their computer systems and donor history questionnaires. Some of these changes require additional FDA approval and FDA required validations. As a result, it takes time for blood centers to start welcoming donors impacted by any change. Once these process changes are made to allow the blood center to accept donations from these newly eligible donors, the hard work of educating the public, especially impacted potential donors, must begin. 

While blood centers are already working with community and LGBTQ+ organizations to promote awareness of the new eligibility criteria, these efforts will require additional funding to reach the most people possible. Federal funding directed locally has generated significant results in the recruitment of first-time and repeat blood donors, as evidenced by funding provided by an Other Transaction Authority managed by America’s Blood Centers, that resulted in a 244% increase in COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma collections during a 20-week period after the funds were distributed to 37 not-for-profit blood centers. 

To reach as many impacted donors as possible, I am asking you to introduce legislation to provide targeted federal funding that can be used locally by blood centers to amplify their education and awareness efforts.

Thank you for your focus on this matter and for making strengthening America’s blood supply a national priority. I look forward to your prompt reply.

Ask Congress to Support Funding to Promote Awareness of New Eligibility Criteria for Blood Donors

Message

Dear Office Holder (names will be automatically added on each email),