(okinawa.usmc.mil, Camp Foster) - by Lance Cpl. Daniel A. Flynn - The Armed Services Blood Bank Center in Okinawa has seen an increase in the amount of blood it has collected due to a recent change in donation regulations.
The Armed Services Blood Program implemented a policy about four months ago that allows service members with new tattoos to donate blood after only a week. The change from the previous year-long deferral period is conditional; the donating service member must have received the tattoo in a state where tattoo parlor regulations meet blood bank standards.
The state's regulations must require tattoo parlors to use sterile needles and one-time-use ink.
The Armed Services Blood Program Office will review its list of approved states on an annual basis to keep it current, said Cmdr. Michael C. Libby, director of the Armed Services Blood Program Office here.
The Armed Services Blood Bank Center is the only source of blood for the 18 U.S. medical treatment facilities in the Pacific, and blood bank officials hope the new policy will help them reach their monthly goals more consistently, said Tracy Parmer, blood donor recruiter for the center.
"March was the first time in five months that we actually reached our monthly quota of 350 units of blood," Parmer said. "It was a good month for us. We were able to collect 363 units."
Parmer said the increase in donations is a reflection of the amount of service members and their families arriving on Okinawa who are not being turned away due to recent tattoos received in the U.S.
"The main reason we have trouble reaching our quota is because of deferrals," Parmer said. "With these changes to the requirements, we should be able to start drawing more units of blood each month."
Tattoos received in Okinawa still require a 12-month deferral, Parmer said.