I’m after seeing a big poster about a vampire in Dublin city centre, what’s that about?
Earlier this week, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service erected a red campaign poster on the Liberty Hall building, the headquarters of trade union Siptu.
The poster contains a spooky silhouette of a cloaked vampire figure set against a red background, with the tagline: “Give blood. Save lives.”
It’s part of a Halloween-inspired campaign to encourage members of the public to donate blood.
Why is the organisation doing this now?
A spokeswoman for the service said the demand for blood “never stops”.
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“We are always trying to find creative ways to engage the public. The most famous Count in the world, Dracula, was created by Dubliner Bram Stoker, who was born just up the road in Clontarf,” she says.
“So we’re using the fun, spooky Halloween buzz, when everyone’s already talking about blood, to get them thinking about the real thing. Our tagline, We Count On You, is a nod to the Count, but more importantly, it’s a sincere, heartfelt message that patients across Ireland are truly counting on the public to roll up their sleeves and give blood.”
Will members of the public be able to spot such posters elsewhere?
The poster, which will remain on the building until Sunday, November 2nd, will be the only physical poster, the organisation said, but they intend to promote the campaign online and will have Halloween-specific merchandise at donation clinics.
Why are they doing this drive now?
Well, the organisation often runs various campaigns but this time of year is particularly important for blood donations.
As the country moves into the winter period, there is generally high hospital demand as well as increasing levels of respiratory illness within the community which impacts blood collection. At the end of summer, attendances at blood clinics typically drop, often well into October.
“We need to collect over 3,200 units of blood every week to respond to patient need and meet this hospital demand,” the IBTS spokeswoman says.
Are there specific blood types being sought?
No, the organisation said blood donors of all blood types are needed, but they are particularly interested in new and younger donors, and donors of African Heritage.
[ Blood transfusion service appeals for donors as supplies run critically lowOpens in new window ]
Does the country have enough blood currently?
Two weeks ago, the organisation issued a warning that stores were critically low.
The IBTS said there are “peaks and troughs” throughout the year for blood collection – typically around Christmas and New Year, Easter, public holidays and during exam season in June.
There were just three days’ worth of supplies across most blood groups when they issued their warning.
How does one donate blood?
Members of the public can check giveblood.ie for eligibility, clinic times and locations.
