Canadian Blood Not Needed in New York

November 1, 2001

Spike in blood donations benefits Canadians

By George Sirois
gsirois@uwo.ca

Canadian blood donations soared after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, continuing even after benefactors learned their blood wasn't needed at the scene of the crime. Canadian Blood Services and Quebec's Hema-Quebec collected approximately 20,000 donations on Sept. 11 and 12, more than double the normal amount. None of the donations were in vain, however, as the attacks did increase Canadian needs.

The feverish pace of contributions followed pleas from various media in anticipation of huge numbers of survivors in New York City. The tempo remained at twice above normal for eight days, well after it was made clear to contributors that the number of survivorswas low and the Americans had made no requests for blood.

The temporary grounding of Canadian air traffic, however, did increase domestic requirements. CBS spokesperson Jirina Vlk says that blood and blood products, which are perishable, are shared on an as-needed basis within Canada. Initially, since the length of the air transport ban was unknown, increased local supplies were required because many known Canadian stores would have been inaccessible without aircraft.

While red blood cells and plasma can be maintained for six weeks, platelets, which are critical as clotting agents, cannot be used after five days. With the air travel ban in effect, says Vlk, cold storage ground transportation would not have been sufficient to meet Canadian needs.The timing of the attacks also contributed to Canadian needs, as donations usually fall in September.

According to Vlk, the tragedy has emphasized the ongoing need for blood and its components. She found it particularly encouraging that 15 per cent of those contributing in the wake of the attacks were new donors. Although healthy people can give blood every 56 days,established donors average just under two clinic visits annually. Earlier this year, CBS had established a goal of 160,000 new donors by 2005, each giving twice annually. The hope was to meet anticipated shortfalls of 30,000 units.

Photo by George Sirois

Canadian Blood Services workers organize a recent UWO donor clinic.

The fact that such a surge in donations did not result in an excess demonstrates that Canadians cannot afford to be complacent, says Eleanor Aggelopoulos, CBS spokesperson in London. She is concerned the increase in the number of donors will be temporary. Only three percent of Canadians are regular donors, while about five per cent are donors in Australia, NewZealand and the United States. If Canada can maintain the present levels, however, Aggelopoulos says the goal for new donors will be achieved well in advance of the 2005 target date.

Karen Miller, manager of the permanent CBS clinic on Commissioners Road in London, says that, while a desire to help victims in the US created the initial impulse to donate, people were motivated by a more general ambition to help. When memos were placed on the clinic door saying Americans didn't need Canadian blood supplies, not a single aspiring donor left. People were feeling helpless and asking themselves what they could do to help, says Miller. Their response was to "roll up their sleeves and do something, rather than nothing." That the benefit would go to Canadians, rather than American victims in New York, was no deterrent.

While a mass transfer of blood did not take place, cross-border traffic in blood products is regular. Although the American Red Cross (one of numerous American players) uses no foreign blood, both CBS and the New York Blood Center buy blood from other countries. Vlk maintains that Canada is self-sufficient in all blood products but plasma, which is purchased from the United States. She adds that all Canadian supplies meet both federal health standards and those of the American Food and Drug Administration.

Another way blood crosses international boundaries is in its original container. Canada and the United States both allow most foreigners to donate, although residents of Great Britain are rejected due to concerns about the human variant of mad cow disease. All donations are screened for numerous diseases and infections, including hepatitis, syphilis and HIV. Vlk says the tests are exceptionally sensitive and that most risks are identified by health questions administered before donations are collected. Last year only three HIV tests indicated positive results at CBS, an incidence of one in 250,000.

The needs of an aging population and more complex surgeries have caused daily demand for blood in Canada to rise eight per cent annually for several years. None of the recent donations was wasted, according to Vlk, because requirements consistently exceed supply.