Booklet by International Pharmaceutical Students' Federation

IPSF

Vampire Cup

Booklet

Introduction

The Vampire Cup campaign is an international blood donation drive. Many people would not be alive today if donors had not generously given their blood. Giving blood saves lives. The blood you give is a lifeline in an emergency and for people who need long-term treatments. Many patients requiring transfusion do not have timely access to safe blood. Providing safe and adequate blood should be an integral part of every country’s national health care policy and infrastructure.

How was the Vampire Cup born?

The Vampire Cup was first organised by the National Australian Pharmaceutical Students’ Association (NAPSA) in 2006-2007. A blood donation competition was held between local associations. Pharmacy students donated their blood at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service blood bank or at a donation bus provided by the Red Cross on the university campus. At the end of the event, the total amount of blood donated was reported to the NAPSA executive board by its local associations. The winner was announced during their national event, the NAPSA Congress.

IPSF saw great potential in this event and, with the approval of NAPSA, the Vampire Cup was launched globally. Now, Vampire Cup is an international blood donation competition amongst all the IPSF associations as the only official campaign for Humanitarian and Human Rights.

What I will find in this booklet?

In this booklet, you will find out more about the donation process, tips on how to organise a blood drive and contend for the vampire cup! It will also guide you on how to use the toolkit provided by us. Even if you aren’t participating in the competition, we would like you to encourage your association to organise a blood donation awareness campaign. In this way, you are contributing to an extremely meaningful cause.

Please keep in mind that the information provided in this booklet and promotional materials are based on international recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). Each national blood transfusion system is responsible for defining its own guidelines for a blood drive as well as the requirements for donors. So do not be surprised if some of the information stated here is different from your country.

Our aim with this booklet is to give you basic information about the blood donation process so it can help you organise any activity related to it. However, you should adapt the information within these guidelines to your own context where necessary.

Aims: ● ● ●

To raise public awareness about the importance of blood donation To increase blood donation campaigns amongst our members To provide valuable information to possible blood donors about the blood donation process ● To provide a platform to celebrate and thank those who donate for altruistic reasons ● To raise awareness about the importance of donating multiple times in order to maintain a sufficient supply of blood ● To spread humanitarian values amongst our members such as altruism, respect, kindness and empathy

Steps of blood donation Understanding how the blood donation process functions should be your first step when planning your own event. This will not only provide the best information to blood donors, but also allows you to liaise with the blood transfusion service you are partnering with. Due to COVID-19, during these processes, you may be required to answer some questions to make sure you are an eligible donor, for instance, if you have any COVID-19 symptoms or diagnostic tests, history of close contacts to COVID-19 patients, your travel history, or if you have accepted a vaccine.

The blood donation process typically functions as so:

1. During the registration process, you will be asked to provide personal information such as valid ID (identity card, driver’s license or passport), age, weight, gender, date of birth, including your complete address where you will receive your mail 8 weeks from donation. 2. Then you should fill a donor questionnaire to provide information related to the donor selection criteria defined in the national guidelines. The questionnaire will be reviewed by a donor selection staff, to ensure that the questions are understood and answered correctly. 3. Blood donor counseling involves a confidential dialogue between a blood donor and a trained staff member from the blood transfusion service. This enables the staff to check that the donor has understood all questions and responded accurately to the questionnaire, explain reasons for any deferral or give advice about further medical care if needed, and ensure that you will give informed consent to donate. It is also an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have. 4. You will then need to answer a few questions about your health history and places 4

you’ve travelled, during a private and confidential interview. You will also be asked about any prescription and/or over-the-counter medications that you are taking. Basic health checks including physical examination, weighing and/or measurement of vital signs (pulse, blood pressure or Hb level via finger prick test) will also be done. 5. You are then required to sign informed consent, which is a voluntary agreement by the donor to; a. the blood donation; b. testing of blood sample for Transfusion Transmissible Infections (TTI), such as Hepatitis A, B, C, D and G, HIV, HTLV I and II, West Nile Virus, syphilis, cytomegalovirus, and malaria; c. transfusion of the donated blood to patients and if required, for the use of the blood for additional tests, quality assurance or research purposes. 6. The staff will first provide you with the information of the donation process, potential adverse reactions, tests that will be performed on the samples, and the confidentiality of the information. In countries where young people under the legal age, as determined by the country, may be accepted as blood donors, written consent may be obtained from a parent, or guardian, in accordance with national requirements. 7. The donation is performed by a professional and usually takes 15-20 minutes. Afterwards, you are asked to remain behind and rest in bed for a few more minutes to see if you have any problems after the donation. 8. Refreshments such as a soft drink and a snack are usually provided.

Eligibility Criteria Globally, these are the eligibility criteria that the donors have to fulfill:

1. Healthy donors between the ages of 18 to 65 years 2. Minimum Hb of 12.5 gr/100 mL and maximum Hb of 20 g/100 mL. 3. Minimum hematocrit of 38% and a maximum of 60%. 4. Body temperature 37.5°C, pulse 50-100 per minute, blood pressure 90-180 mmHg (systolic) and 50-100 mmHg (diastolic) 5. Minimum weighing of 45 kg

6. Tested negative for viral hepatitis, HIV, and other transfusion-transmitted diseases. 7. Is not at risk for acquiring STIs 8. There should be no history of organ or tissue transplant, tattooing, surgery, immunization, intravenous drug addiction, jaundice in the last 6 months to 1 year. 9. The donor should not be diabetic, hypertensive, epileptic, also suffering from malaria and any malignancy. 10. Consuming certain drugs that may hinder blood donation, e.g. aspirin which disrupts platelet function 11. If the donor has any lung, heart, or kidney disease, the staff will assess the type and degree of the disease and decide whether the donor is suitable for donation.

Take note that these criteria may vary in your country so be sure to check with your local blood donation authorities.

How to organise a blood drive (suggested timeline) 2 months before:

a) Recruit a team and form an action plan: make sure that you gather together a group of people with a variety of skills that can contribute to the success of the campaign. Structure your team according to the needs of the project. For example, the team can be divided into groups responsible for different tasks: ● Logistics: maintaining contact with the blood bank organisation and ensuring you provide them with everything they need, obtaining any necessary authorization for holding the blood drive (especially if it is held at your university) ● Advertising: responsible for the promotion of the event including the design of posters and developing social media strategies or other ways to promote the event ● Awareness: responsible for an awareness campaign about blood donation. It is proven that person-to-person contact is the best way to recruit a blood donor ● Sponsorship: to find sponsors who could help with any activity related to the event. Consider giving a meaningful gift to the blood donors at the end of their donation as well.

b) Set a date: discuss possible dates for the blood drive. When discussing dates, make sure you choose a date that doesn’t overlap with exams or work assignments. Students need to be relaxed and have time to donate blood.

c) Search for blood bank organisations: Some of your most accessible resources are your local Red Cross and blood transfusion centers. These organisations can provide you with plenty of support including staffing, logistics and simply getting the word out. They are accustomed to running blood drives and can help you in every step of the way to ensure a successful blood drive. After finding an appropriate blood bank, present the possible dates to the organisation and decide on a definite date. Ask them what they need for the campaign and if they can provide you with guidance and promotion materials. Maintain contact regularly and define some common strategies.

d) Location: One of the first considerations to ensure the success of your drive is to choose a good location. Preferably, the blood donation campaign should be mobile as it is more convenient: ● If the campaign is held at the blood bank organisation, make sure you promote it well and provide your target audience with the information they need. For example, you can distribute flyers with an explanation of how to reach the blood bank by public transportation or even by car ● If you host a mobile blood drive, your goal should be to find a place that will be centrally accessible to the maximum number of participants. Your location should also meet the criteria for safe and proper blood collections and be able to accommodate the appropriate capacity. It should be well ventilated with multiple outlets and good lighting. Ground floor or access to an elevator is important, as blood drive equipment is heavy. Depending on the organisation, there is also the possibility of conducting the blood drive in a blood mobile vehicle.

1-2 months before:

a) Face-to-face meeting with the blood transfusion service at the suggested location: By this stage, most of the details with the partner organisation should be arranged. It is recommended that you schedule a personal meeting with the blood transfusion

service to show them the location where the blood drive is going to be held. This will allow them to establish with you, for example, the path of the donor, and anything else you will need to organise in the area (for example, tables, chairs, and power outlets). Remember to choose and arrange the location which is most convenient to reach and still comply with the guidelines being established by the local government regarding COVID-19. b) This is your opportunity to ask any questions about the blood donation process! Present your plan to them (including the communication strategy). They are experienced in the process so they will definitely guide you or provide you with suggestions for improvement. In case you need a letter from them to obtain your faculty’s permission to hold the blood drive, this is the perfect opportunity to ask for it.

c) Meeting with your team: Make sure to have regular meetings with your team, to ensure everything is running smoothly. Certainly, after meeting with the blood transfusion service you will have more details to share with your team.

d) Development and preparation of a promotion strategy: This is crucial for the success of the event. You can promote the event on social media, put up posters, produce flyers or even organize an awareness activity about blood donation. Here are some suggestions: Awareness campaign: set a day to raise awareness about blood donation. This can be achieved through various strategies. Using this link, you will find some global facts about blood donation that may help you understand the necessity of donating blood. There are some details that need to be shared with your target audience, especially prospective donors. Some of this information includes the following: ● General information, such as what is expected on the day of the blood donation, how it is organised and what each step consists of. Some tips on how to prepare for donation can also be shared! Please refer to the pre donation flyer we have prepared ● Share the rights and responsibilities of blood donors. It is important for any prospective donor to understand their responsibilities and the need to reply honestly to questions the blood transfusion service may ask. Please refer to the responsibilities & rights of donors flyer we have prepared ● Answer the questions or concerns potential donors may have. There are

many myths about the process that might influence their decision to donate. In addition to this, some people are unsure of the requirements for donating. ● Please refer to the FAQs for blood donors flashcards. In this document, you have answers to many questions or doubts people often have regarding the blood donation process. You can print off these flashcards and challenge the audience with them. (You can, for example, place the cards on a table with the questions facing up so the public has an opportunity to read the explanations carefully). This allows for the audience to spot the questions that are most relevant to them. For example, if someone is taking medication, they will easily spot the question, “What if I am taking medication? Can I donate?” Even if you aren’t able to print them, you can pass this file to the volunteers who are helping you organise the blood drive. It can help them reply too many concerns or doubts possible donors have and help them recruit donors.

Other suggestions:

● Ideally, donors should register in advance to ensure smoother scheduling on the day of the event. At the awareness campaign, you can provide a sign-up or timeslot document that will allow donors to choose a time that works best for them and ensures a more consistent flow throughout the day. It helps the blood bank organise how many staff is needed on the day. Having the email addresses of possible donors can be used for sending reminders in the days leading up to the campaign. Alternatively, you can also share an online registration form!

● Hold a photo booth where people can take pictures with phrases about blood donation or other accessories (for example, drops of blood, superhero capes or masks, vampire figurines with slogans of the campaign “We Want Your Blood”). Ask participants to share these photos on social media with creative hashtags. Another way would be to publish the photo booth album on your official social media accounts and in the description of the album, you can put all the information about the blood donation drive (such as date and location). Don’t forget to tag the people that are featured in the photos, so it reaches more people!

Promotion ● Ask for the collaboration of some professors. They can talk to their students about the event and encourage them to donate. ● Ask any possible sponsors to share their event within their communication channel. ● Hang posters throughout the university and other surroundings ● Ask for your university to promote your blood drive through their official site. Contact other platforms within the region, such as TV/radio/newspaper/websites ● Create a Facebook event with all the necessary information. Post regularly on the Facebook event page and invite your acquaintances to it ● Also for social media, you can ask your team to use the photo frame provided by us and include in the description the important blood drive information (such as date, location, etc.)

1-2 weeks before: Complete any final checks and preparation. More emails should be sent out and more promotions conducted. Confirm your location and ensure that the team is ready for the project.

During the campaign: ● Final briefing of the team ● Ensure all locations are manned ● Ensure enough information is available for people who ask for it (put up arrows that indicate the path to the location). On the day of the event, volunteers along with organization representatives can help donors through the registration process ● In the case of a mobile blood drive, set up the room before the blood drive staff arrives. Make sure to meet with the blood bank staff 1-2 hours before the event starts and assist them with anything they require. ● Don’t forget to record how many total units of blood were donated! ● Make sure that blood donors feel appreciated and provide them with post-donation

information. Although many donors don’t experience any adverse reactions after donating, it is still important to give them some preventive measures after donating. - Please refer to the post-donation flyer we have prepared.

After the campaign: Announce the campaign results, along with a thank you note to all participants. Make your donors feel appreciated. Have a final briefing with your team to evaluate how the campaign went, making a list of the positives as well as the things that could have been better.

COVID-19 and Blood Donation COVID-19 Pandemic and Need for Blood There is a decline in the voluntary donation and blood supply since the pandemic started. The main reason is that people are concerned and afraid that they might get infected through donation. People might also consider this a mass gathering activity, and they are worried about the safety of donating blood. Not to mention government interventions such as home sheltering, mass lockdown, social distancing and limitation of public gatherings which have made people more reluctant to leave their homes, go to the blood centers and donate. However, the need for blood does not end because of the pandemic. Entering this season of new normal, clinics that were closed are starting to re-open, which means those healthcare services do not stop operating and provide care to patients, including lifesaving ones. This

includes saving patients of the most emergent cases, such as traumas, cancer, orthopedic surgeries, pregnancy, and many others. Another reason is due to the study of COVID Convalescent Plasma (CCP) as one of the potential therapies for COVID-19. Contributing to donate for convalescent plasma means that we are contributing to the studies that are currently being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this therapy, which will become huge progress for the global public health system in terms of efforts to tackle COVID-19. As long as you choose the right place to donate blood, implementing the highest standards of safety and infection control, complying with the guidelines determined by professional health bodies, it is always safe to donate blood.

Blood Donation during the Pandemic The pandemic has adversely affected blood donation activities in many countries, which emphasizes the more urgent need for blood. However, pandemic control is still the top priority for all of us to consider. Different countries might have different regulations regarding blood donation during the pandemic, which may take these factors into consideration: 1. The extent of COVID-19 spread in the country or geographical area 2. Level of community circulation (isolated cases or clusters of cases vs community transmission) 3. Local epidemiology 4. Risk of transfusion transmission in the context of the overall burden of disease 5. Quality of the health care system 6. Public health response in that country or geographical area 7. Blood supply sufficiency 8. Operational impacts 9. Cost-effectiveness of blood safety interventions in reducing disease morbidity in relation to the overall situation in the country.

If you understand that one of these factors does not support the organisation of blood drives, you must follow public health policies implemented in your country.

Things to Consider when Choosing a Blood Drive Partner The first step to conduct a safe blood drive is to choose a blood drive organisation that applies the correct protocols to ensure safety. Those blood drives will:

1. Schedule blood donations by appointment to avoid crowding 2. Conduct pre-selection procedures to ensure donors are healthy and identify potentially infected donors before entry into the donation area. If COVID-19 is suspected or confirmed in a potential blood donor or staff, the management of the donor, staff and contacts should follow national public health guidelines. 3.

Encourage self-deferral or defer immediately (14-day deferral) donors who: (per American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and US Food and Drug Authority (USFDA) guidelines)  Feel unwell or have COVID-19 related symptoms (fever, tiredness, dry cough, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, breathlessness, etc.)  Diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms  Are possibly directly exposed to SARS-CoV-2 from close contact with a confirmed case or care of an infected patient (confirmed/suspected/under quarantine)  Have travelled from areas with community transmission  Had a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 (e.g. nasopharyngeal swab) but never had symptoms  Have recovered from diagnosed COVID-19 (full resolution of symptoms and cessation of therapies for their illness)  Accepted a live-attenuated vaccine

Do temperature checks immediately before the entrance of each donor to service.

Provide hand sanitizer and face masks for donors to use before entering and throughout the donation appointment.

Follow social distancing practices, e.g. for the donor beds, blood donation couches (distance minimum 1-meter), as well as waiting and refreshment areas. Preparing the arm for donation with aseptic scrub Use standardized disposable sterile blood collection sets for blood donation for each donor. These are not used for any other donor in any way. Advise donors to inform the blood centre immediately if they develop a respiratory illness within 14 days following the donation (in some areas with widespread community transmission of COVID-19). Launder blankets used by donors, or encourage donors to bring their own blankets. Have a paper towel/sheet to cover the stretchers/beds for each team and replace them with a new one after each donation. Implement standard laboratory biosafety practices, based on national or

7. 8. 9.

10. 11. 12.

13. 14.

international guidelines Disinfect donation areas, surfaces and equipment frequently. Dispose of the biomedical waste correctly.

They will also apply safety protocols to their employees, including: 1. Implementing standard staff health assessments to ensure their staff is healthy each day. 2. Educating them about COVID-19 3. Advising them not to come to work if they feel ill or may have been exposed. 4. Reducing overlapping shifts of staff to avoid crowding of staff members 5. Lessening movement of staff members between sections of the facility 6. Obligating them to wear appropriate PPE, e.g. gloves and face masks Additional PPE such as P2/N95 masks or gowns for collection is not currently considered necessary as blood is collected from people who are healthy.

If your members wish to donate individually, you can suggest them to book donation appointments at the nearest blood donation centres. You can also facilitate them to donate by providing the adequate information that they need to know, for instance, to choose the right blood drive centre, to know the eligibility criteria of donors, to know what to do before and after donation, etc. It is important for you to disseminate or display donor educational materials at the blood centre or blood donation camp in the form of leaflets, handouts, or posters informing the changes in blood donor selection and blood donation process to allow donors to

comprehend the situation and comply to the rules more easily. You can refer to this link for the updated materials of COVID-19 and blood donation.

How to tackle limitations from government Intervention from the governments may limit your ability to attend donation sessions or conduct drives in areas where restrictions take place. These are some tips you can do:  Deploy smaller teams to conduct drives in areas with a high number of COVID-19 positive cases.  Prepare back-up plans for blood transfusion services you will be working with (e.g. in non-affected areas or in areas with lower cases of COVID-19, with no strict restrictions from the government)  Provide transportation to blood donor sites that are not closed.  Adjust schedule appointments on only operating hours  Organise blood drives in shifts  Organise blood drives on a more targeted basis through focused (including blood group specific) retention and recall of healthy repeat donors.

Convalescent Plasma Donation Convalescent plasma therapy uses blood from people who’ve recovered from an illness to help others recover. Their blood contains antibodies to the virus that causes it. The donated blood is processed to remove blood cells, leaving behind liquid (plasma) and antibodies. These antibodies will boost the patients’ ability to fight the virus. Some clinical trials and national access programs suggest that CCP may lessen the severity of shortening the duration of COVID-19. However, more studies, particularly Randomised Controlled Trials will need to be done to confirm this.

The use of CCP currently is only allowed for experimental therapy consistent with ethical and legal safeguards (informed consent of donors and patients, institutional approval, special labeling as an investigational product, compliance with applicable regulatory requirements). The FDA has issued new guidance that allows the use of CCP under the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) or an IND (Investigational New Drug), with conditions fulfilling the terms of the Letter of Authorization. USA is not the only country conducting studies regarding CCP, there are also other countries, such as Canada, USA, Mexico, Columbia, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, UK, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, India, Bahrain, China, and Australia.

For those of you who live in these countries and whose countries allow CCP donation, you may also contribute by finding blood donation organisations that facilitate this or encourage your members to do it individually. If you would like to donate CCP whole blood or plasma, you should fulfill the general blood eligibility criteria and several additional criteria as stated below. a.

Evidence of COVID-19 documented by laboratory testing in either:  Individuals who had symptoms of COVID-19 and a positive test result from a standardized diagnostic test.  Individuals who did not have a prior positive diagnostic test and/or never had symptoms of COVID-19 may be qualified to donate if they have had reactive (positive) results in two standardized different tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. b. Complete resolution of symptoms at least 14 days before the donation. A negative result for COVID-19 by a diagnostic test is not necessary to qualify the donor. c. Male donors, female donors who have never been pregnant, or female donors who have been tested since their most recent pregnancy and results interpreted as negative for HLA antibodies.

You cannot donate (deferred) if you meet one of the conditions for deferral as stated above, also if you have any active lung diseases such as TB or emphysema and rheumatoid arthritis or certain autoimmune disease.

The process of blood donation is similar to the normal process. CCP donation can only be done in certified blood establishments, with legally approved equipment, and by trained staff. You can donate whole blood which will take 10-12 minutes for the actual donation or automated (red blood cells only) for 45-50 minutes.

Additional information: Check the FAQs document which has the date for the Regular and Live Vampire Cup 20202021, registration forms and information about the deadline to register and to submit tracker forms. Check the toolkit to download the tracker forms.

For more information, please contact: Ms. Irene Bougenville (Humanitarian Coordinator): humanitarian@ipsf.org Ms. Hera Ali (Chairperson of Public Health): publichealth@ipsf.org

References:                                  

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