Red Cross of Southern Nevada asks type O donors to book appointments now to head off a holiday blood shortage

What happened

The American Red Cross of Southern Nevada is asking residents to schedule blood donations now, with a special appeal to people with type O blood, the Las Vegas Sun reported. The goal is to keep supplies from falling during the holiday season. The request comes less than three months after the organization declared a national blood supply crisis.

In a news release Wednesday, the Red Cross said travel, school breaks and holiday activities around Thanksgiving and the December holidays can reduce the number of people available to give. Rachel Flanigan, executive director of the American Red Cross Southern Nevada Chapter, said the group does not want to be "asking people to donate because blood supplies have already reached critical levels," according to the Sun.

Why type O blood is in focus

The Red Cross said every blood type is needed. It also said a steady supply of type O is especially important because of how widely it can be used.

Type O positive

Type O positive is the blood type transfused most often, the Red Cross said. It can be given to patients with any positive blood type, a group that makes up about 80% of the population.

Type O negative

Type O negative is known as the universal donor type because it can go to patients of any blood type. That makes it essential in emergencies. About 7% of the population has type O negative blood, according to the Red Cross.

A difficult summer for blood supplies

National crisis declared in July

The Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage July 13 after the national supply fell nearly 25% in June, the Sun reported. On July 27, it declared a national blood supply crisis, only the second in its history after one in January 2022. At that point it said it had less than a one-day national supply of type O positive blood and began limiting type O distributions to hospitals.

Local supply eased but stayed fragile

On Sept. 4, the Southern Nevada chapter said the crisis had eased after thousands of donors responded. It added that the blood supply remained vulnerable. Vitalant, the other major blood collector in Southern Nevada, also raised concerns this summer. Vitalant Executive Director Erik Hill warned that the organization's type O supply had dropped to a two-year low, the Sun reported July 23.

How much blood the region depends on

Nationwide, the Red Cross supplies roughly 40% of the country's blood and supports more than 2,500 hospitals and transfusion centers. To keep pace with patient needs, it must collect roughly 13,000 blood donations and 3,000 platelet donations every day. In Southern Nevada, nearly 20 hospitals depend on Red Cross blood products.

The Southern Nevada chapter collected 16,687 units of blood across 709 drives in 2025, the Red Cross said. In the first eight months of 2026, it collected 12,463 units through 540 blood drives.

Blood has a short shelf life

Regular donations matter because blood components expire. Red blood cells can be stored for up to 42 days, and platelets must be used within five days. A recent Red Cross survey found that fewer than 1 in 5 respondents understood that blood expires.

How to donate

Eligible donors can make an appointment through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, at redcross.org/GiveBlood, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Everyone who donates blood through Nov. 22 will receive up to $20 in gift cards. That includes a $10 Amazon gift card plus 500 bonus points that can be redeemed for a $10 e-gift card through Blood Donor Rewards, with details at RedCrossBlood.org/Maze.

What to watch next

• The Red Cross gift card incentive for blood donors runs through Nov. 22.
• Thanksgiving and the December holidays are the period when the Red Cross says fewer donors tend to be available.
• The Southern Nevada chapter said in September that the local blood supply remained vulnerable even after the summer crisis eased.