Shifting demographics are most to blame for blood-supply shortages in the US

In the Pacific Northwest, for example, donors aged 45 and older account for 63 percent of the total blood volume collected from repeat donors. But baby boomers are aging out of the donor pool, and first-time donors aren’t replenishing their ranks.

As older donors lose eligibility, younger ones are not replenishing the donor pool.

To read the article, see “Improving the fragile US supply of blood,” September 15, 2020.