American Red Cross Faces Scrutiny as it Requires COVID-19 Vaccine Recipients to Call Hotline to See if They’re Still Eligible for Blood Donation
Cadet Gabrielle Reyes squeezes a sponge ball during a blood drive at the New Jersey National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Academy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., Jan. 24, 2018. Original public domain image from Flickr
The American Red Cross is under public scrutiny for its blood donation screening process, which includes a specific question regarding COVID-19 vaccination status.
The inquiry is part of the organization’s RapidPass system, designed to expedite the pre-donation procedure by enabling potential donors to fill out necessary paperwork online.
The controversy centers around the 79th question on the RapidPass questionnaire, which asks donors whether they have received a COVID-19 vaccine. Those who answer affirmatively are prompted to contact the American Red Cross at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to discuss whether their vaccination status affects their eligibility to donate blood.
