Health officials say San Diego is experiencing its worst blood shortage in six years. American Red Cross spokesman Stephen Whitburn says donations are low and demand is up.
Whitburn: The population is growing and that is causing us to use more blood, the population is aging and more and more people who are older need medical care and there are increasing sophisticated medical technologies that help to improve health care but also increase the demand for blood.
More than 40-percent of the blood used in San Diego has to be imported from other parts of the country. Only three-percent of San Diegans donate compared to the five-percent nationally.
