AB Male Plasma Donors Needed to Help Fill Department of Defense Order

June 2011

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Community Blood Services is urging eligible male AB plasma donors to schedule an appointment to donate at one of its New Jersey or New York donor centers to help the center fill a request from the Department of Defense.

The Department of Defense has placed an order for 400 units of Type AB plasma through America�s Blood Centers (ABC), North America's network of non-profit community blood centers. Community Blood Services is a member center of ABC, and one of 14 member centers in this region�s hub and spoke system that provide blood or blood products when requested by the Department of Defense. Community Blood Services will collect some of these requested plasma units and ship them to a central location to be transported directly to the Department of Defense.

More plasma is needed by the military to supplement its existing supply because collections are impacted by vacations, as is true throughout the U.S. during the summer months, and also by other factors the military faces at this time of the year.

Call Community Blood Services toll free at 866-228-1500 for more information about becoming a plasma donor, to schedule an appointment to donate, or for convenient locations and hours. You can also click here to schedule your appointment or click here for convenient locations and hours.

Plasma is used for burn and trauma victims. Type AB blood donors are universal plasma donors because their blood can be transfused to any patient, regardless of blood type. Plasma is collected during an automated donation process, which is safe and easy and only takes a little longer than donating whole blood. There is a constant need to replenish the plasma supply since Type AB blood donors represent only 4% of the population.

Community Blood Services has donor centers in Paramus and Lincoln Park in New Jersey and in New Windsor, New York, as well as mobile blood drives and other convenient donation sites throughout the region. The blood center provides blood and blood products to help patients in more than 25 hospitals it serves in New Jersey and New York.