American Red Cross–Stuttgart Station
News Release
The Armed Services Blood Program and the American Red Cross–Stuttgart Station are teaming up again for another Stuttgart military community blood drive, Oct. 23, in the Patch Community Center, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and Oct. 24 in the Panzer Fitness Center, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
The ASBP is a tri-service Department of Defense agency that provides lifesaving blood products to service members and their families worldwide. Blood is shipped weekly into theater to care for our injured troops. In addition, blood is needed daily in our military hospitals for surgeries, premature births, accidents, burns, and cancer treatments.
Who can donate?
Anyone meeting the basic criteria may donate to the ASBP. Donors must be at least 18, weigh at least 110 pounds and must be free of cold/flu symptoms for at least three days; they must wait four weeks after an MMR or Varicella vaccination. Smallpox must wait at least three weeks.
Most medications are acceptable, including aspirin, blood pressure or cholesterol medications, birth control, antidepressants, pain medications, etc. If you are taking antibiotics for an infection you must wait 72 hours after your last dose. For specific questions please call us at 590-5958 or 063 71 94645885. Tattoos are acceptable if received in the following states: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CO, DE, FL, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, MT, NE, NJ, NC, OH, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, WA, WV, WI. Others must wait 12 months. Tattoos overseas are a 12-month wait.
Donors who have been to Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti and Niger must wait one year. Kuwait and Qatar are OK. Donors who were south of Seoul, Korea may donate immediately, but donors who traveled north of Seoul must wait 24 months, unless it was less than a 24 hour trip.
All donors who were in the UK for more than three months from 1980-1996 are ineligible. Military affiliated donors who were stationed in Germany, Belgium, or the Netherlands between 1980-1990 for more than six months are ineligible. Those stationed in the rest of Europe between 1980 and 1996 for longer than 6 months are ineligible. Donors who traveled to certain countries in Europe between 1980 and present for longer than five years are ineligible. Any time spent in the U.K. after 1996 does not count toward five years in Europe.
Have questions regarding travel or health history? Contact the Donor Center at 590-5885 or 06371-9464-5885, or send a Facebook message.
