This is from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Food Allergies in Schools:
"Food allergies are a particular concern in the school environment. Studies show that 16%–18% of children with food allergies have had allergic reactions to accidental ingestion of food allergens while in school. Moreover, food-induced anaphylaxis data reveals that 25% of anaphylaxis reactions in schools occur among students without a previous food allergy diagnosis."
"School personnel should be ready to effectively manage students with known food allergies and should also be vigilant and prepared to respond effectively to emergency needs of students who are not known to have food allergies but who exhibit allergy-related signs and symptoms." CDC.gov
I completely agree that staff should be trained and prepared. It's important for an epi-pen to be available in the classroom, not just in the nurses office. We also need to train our children (if age appropriate) on how to notify a teacher and how to use an epi-pen. The two times my son Bradley has gone into shock, it only took about 5 minutes before his airway was fully closed. There's not enough time to hunt down an epi-pen from a nurses office.
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