What should hospitals do when patients demand unvaccinated donor blood? A rare but real phenomenon creates new challenges for doctors, blood banks, and medical systems

https://www.statnews.com/2026/06/01/unvaccinated-blood-donor-directed-donation-transcript/ Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Deva Sharma. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get alerts about each new episode by signing up for the “First Opinion Podcast” newsletter. And don’t forget to sign up for the First Opinion newsletter, delivered every Sunday. By Torie BoschJune 1, 2026 Editor, First Opinion