Call for arms as flu strikes blood stocks

The flu season has taken its toll on the Red Cross, with more people cancelling blood donation appointments compared to previous years.

Bunbury Donor Centre session leader Kerry Anderson said when people cancelled late because of an illness, the Red Cross did not have time to fill the appointment.

"You need to be healthy to give blood and if you have been sick in the past week, then you cannot give blood," she said.

Bunbury resident Shawn Johnson said he had been donating for the past six months because he wanted to contribute to a good cause.

"It's easy to donate and it doesn't take long but it also makes me feel good to know that I'm helping the community and I try to donate when I can," he said.

WA Country Health Service South West regional director Kerry Winsor said 162 confirmed flu cases were reported to the South West Public Health Unit in the week ending August 21, which compared to similar numbers at the same time last year.

"Confirmed cases are only the tip of the iceberg as not everyone gets tested, so case numbers would be much higher in the community," she said.

"The most worrying thing is an unusually high number of hospitalisations, particularly in young and middle-aged adults."

Editorial, page 12