Hospitals across the U.S. are facing an unprecedented demand from patients needing blood transfusions: specifically, blood from donors who are not vaccinated against COVID-19. This request has led to treatment delays and even life-threatening reactions in some cases.

“These requests are often fueled by misinformation regarding vaccine safety and blood supplies, rather than justifiable concerns regarding blood transfusions,” explains Dr. Jeremy Jacobs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville. “It’s crucial to understand that local blood supplies are rigorously regulated and tested, and there’s no evidence that using unvaccinated blood makes transfusions safer.”

Jacobs and his team examined blood donations at the Vanderbilt Center from January 2024 to December 2025. They discovered that 15 patients, or their relatives, expressed a desire to donate blood directly if it came from a known, unvaccinated source, typically a family member, rather than the usual blood bank.

In the UK and Australia, direct donations are typically reserved for exceptional cases, such as when the blood type is rare and no suitable blood bank donors are available. While the U.S. allows this practice more freely, guidelines can vary significantly between centers.

The study revealed that all 15 patients sought blood donations specifically from donors they knew were unvaccinated, largely as a reaction to concerns surrounding COVID-19. However, blood banks do not record or communicate the vaccination status of anonymized donors.

These requests have delayed necessary treatments and jeopardized patient health. In extreme cases, a patient’s hemoglobin levels may drop to critical thresholds, risking organ damage. Another patient faced anemia as a result.

“Direct blood donations involve more operational complexity than traditional blood supply methods,” Jacobs warns. “They necessitate additional coordination, collection, processing, tracking, and timing.”

While blood is thoroughly tested before transfusion, direct donations can also present a heightened risk of infection. This is often due to these donations being one-time events, as opposed to being sourced from repeat donors who are familiar to the blood bank and who may maintain better safety protocols.

The rate of direct blood donations surged during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980s and early 1990s, and again during the COVID-19 pandemic as mRNA vaccines were introduced. These vaccines work by introducing a segment of the SARS-CoV-2 genetic code, prompting the individual’s cells to generate a protein that triggers an immune response. This prepares the immune system to combat SARS-CoV-2 if infection occurs.

Despite numerous studies validating the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, misinformation continues to falsely associate them with infertility and a range of other health concerns. Conspiracy theories have even misrepresented these vaccines as containing microchips or altering DNA.

In a 2025 study, it was confirmed that blood donations from individuals vaccinated against COVID-19 are safe. “The increased demand for unvaccinated blood reflects a pervasive uncertainty surrounding vaccines among certain population segments, rather than any substantiated transfusion risk,” states Dr. Ash Toye at the University of Bristol, UK.

This issue is not exclusive to Vanderbilt Center; the Welsh Blood Service reported a similar trend last year: Patients are requesting information about blood donors’ vaccination statuses. A proposal for legislation addressing this matter was rejected in the UK, and in Oklahoma, lawmakers have suggested requiring access to unvaccinated blood supplies: Access to unvaccinated blood.

“These requests illustrate the tangible consequences of misinformation on patients, hospitals, and blood donation efforts,” Jacobs emphasizes. “At the same time, it highlights the necessity to address patient concerns with empathy and understanding, even when those concerns lack supporting evidence.”