Matt Schermerhorn talks about donating blood at the Impact Life blood center, Friday, Nov. 11, 2022, in Davenport, Iowa. Since 1999, those people have been banned from giving blood in the U.S. for fear that they’d been exposed to mad cow disease. “The most important thing is for individuals that believe they may now be eligible to call their local blood center,” said Kate Fry, chief executive of America’s Blood Centers, which represents more than 600 blood collection sites providing nearly 60% of the U.S. blood supply. Tracking down lost donors has been a challenge, said Dr. John Armitage, chief executive of the Oklahoma Blood Institute. For Schermerhorn, giving blood is one way to repay past donors who stepped up when his older brother was badly injured in a boating accident.

Source: The Herald November 20, 2022 19:21 UTC