Red Cross seeks young donors as older blood donors retire

Austria’s Red Cross is recruiting young blood donors in Vorarlberg as baby boomers reach the age limit for donating, ORF reports. People can donate from age 18 until they turn 70, and the blood bank in Feldkirch is looking to bring younger generations into the donor pool.

About 500 millilitres of blood are taken at each donation, including around 50 millilitres for testing. The process takes an average of five minutes. Women can generally donate three times a year and men four times.

“We are now at the point where our ‘older donors’ are dropping out of donating,” said Ute Nesensohn, head of the blood bank in Feldkirch. The Red Cross has been visiting schools for more than 30 years to encourage young people to donate. It holds two to three blood donation events across Vorarlberg each week, mostly at schools and also in cooperation with municipalities and clubs.

A blood drive was held for the second time last week at HLW Marienberg, a school in Bregenz. Headteacher Erwin Simma donated for the eighth time, saying it was important to raise awareness among students and encourage them to contribute to the wider community. For some students in the school’s fourth and fifth year groups, it was their first donation. “I think it’s important to be able to help people,” said 19-year-old student Lorena Denifl.

Vorarlberg needs about 15,000 blood units a year to treat patients. There has not yet been a significant shortage, Nesensohn said, though particular blood groups are sometimes in demand for operations and other procedures.