FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 22,2001

SCHUMER, AMERICA'S BLOOD CENTER ANNOUNCE ANNUAL DONATION OF 75,000 PINTS OF BLOOD TO HELP SOLVE NYC'S MASSIVE BLOOD SHORTAGE

Donation Expected to Help Makeup Shortfall Caused by Anticipated FDA Decision to Ban "Euroblood"

US Senator Charles E. Schumer and the America's Blood Center (ABC) today announced the annual donation of 75,000 pints of blood to the New York Blood Center to help make up the massive shortage expected if the FDA bans the importation of blood from Europe. The FDA's Advisory Board recently recommended banning all "Euroblood," and the FDA is expected to approve the recommendation shortly. Nearly 33% of New York City's blood supply comes from "Euroblood," creating an unprecedented shortage, and forcing many New York City hospitals into the position of choosing which patients will receive access to a limited supply of blood.

The donation of 75,000 units per year will go a long way towards closing the shortfall of an anticipated shortage of 120,000 to 150,000 annual units. America's Blood Centers will sign long- term contracts for the blood shipments, helping secure a continual and steady supply of blood to the New York Blood Center for distribution throughout the metropolitan area.

Shipments are slated to begin in the spring of 2002, but will begin earlier if the FDA's decision is implemented sooner than anticipated or if Euroblood partners interrupt shipments. All blood shipments will arrive at least two weeks before the unit's expiration date, helping ensure availability. The proportion of type O positive and negative blood in the mix of blood products will also be increased to handle anticipated shortfalls. America's Blood Centers will also create new workshops and training sessions to help local officials manage the shortage.

"This is great news for New York," Schumer said. "So far, all we've heard on this issue is bad news: first that our blood supply would be dramatically reduced and then that the FDA couldn't do anything to help us find alternatives. Although this won't make up the entire anticipated shortfall, it goes a long way towards helping prevent the type of tragedies a shortage of this proportion could easily cause. I can't thank America's Blood Center, as well as the New York Blood Center and the Greater New York Hospital Association, enough for their generosity."

"America's Blood Centers is committed to protecting patient safety and the national blood supply," said Jeanne Dariotis, President of America's Blood Centers. "While blood centers across the country will be affected by the proposed expansion of the mad cow disease deferral policy, the New York Metropolitan area, in particular, will be disproportionately affected because of the immediate disappearance of Euroblood. This is an issue of great concern to the leadership and membership of America's Blood Centers and that's why we are taking every possible action to prevent a blood shortage crisis here in New York."

"I think it's wonderful that Americas Blood Center is coming to the rescue," said Kenneth E. Raske, President of the Greater New York Hospitals Association. "We are most appreciative of them coming to our aid and we will work with them every step of the way to help ensure New Yorkers receive the sound and stable blood supply they deserve."

Today's news of the donation comes in the wake of a meeting between Schumer's office, Raske, and Dr. Robert Jones, President of the New York Blood Center, among others, with the FDA and HHS to locate alternatives to Euroblood to help alleviate the impending crisis. Unfortunately, the participants from New York, including Raske, Jones and Schumer's representative, all left the meeting with the distinct impression that the FDA was not interested in helping New York find alternatives to "Euroblood." Schumer then set up a meeting with HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to further discuss the issue and asked that Thompson encourage the FDA to revisit the issue and its position on helping New York blood officials find viable alternatives.

Since the FDA began considering banning blood from Europe, Schumer has been working to find solutions to the blood shortage crisis. In addition to setting up the meeting with the FDA and HHS to find new alternatives and then asking Thompson to personally intervene after the initial meeting failed to produce possible solutions, Schumer also publicly donated blood in an attempt to encourage New Yorkers to become blood donors, called on HHS to allocate $10 million to promote blood donation in New York and purchase new mobile donating vehicles, worked with the New York Yankees to promote blood donation through the Yankees donation of 3,000 tickets for blood donors, and, most recently, worked with Americas Blood Center to arrange the donation of 75,000 annual pints of blood for New York, which was announced today.

Founded in 1962, America's Blood Center's is a national network of non-profit, independent community blood centers. America's Blood Center affiliates are located in 45 states, serving more than 125 million people at 450 blood donations sites. ABC members collect more than 6 million units of whole blood annually, almost half (47%) of the U.S. blood supply. ABC members yearly provide more than 10 million blood components (including red blood cells, platelets and plasma) to hospitals customers.

Anyone who wants to learn more about donating blood should call the New York Blood Center toll-free at 1-800-933-BLOOD.

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