At AllergyHome, we are part of a community striving to keep our kids with food allergies strong, safe, and healthy.
We know the challenges that come with managing pediatric food allergies and life-threatening anaphylaxis.
Sharing expert-guided knowledge, experiences, and tools, you can be assured that AllergyHome’s resources can assist you in protecting and empowering your children and community living with food allergies.
#Labelreading is a super important skill for #foodallergymanagement. MassGeneral Hospital for Children #FoodAllergy Advocacy and Education Program is collecting pics of labels to be used to train. Please share examples in comments. Thanks! For more on label reading check out our archived #FoodAllergyBootCamp (www.massgeneral.org/children/food-allergies/food-allergy-management-boot-camp.aspx) ... See MoreSee Less
Please reach out to the Education Committee (see below) and your local legislators (see below) share your story that highlights the importance of schools having food allergy policy, staff training, and/or availability of stock epinephrine.
IMPORTANT STATISTICS: National statistics suggest that 1 in 13 children has food allergies. Nearly 40% of these children have already experienced a severe allergic reaction. Massachusetts data from the 2016/17 school year documented over 300 epinephrine administrations in MA schools that year. 25% of epinephrine administrations were to people without a known history of allergy. Close to 7% of MA students have a food allergy, with 3% of MA students having an auto-injector.
KEY MESSAGE:
Allergic reactions should always be handled as a medical emergency and this bill will ensure that schools are ready to avoid, recognize, and treat allergic reactions. Current epinephrine regulations exist (105 CMR 210) and suggest policy and training that includes prevention. Current regulations apply to public and private primary and secondary schools.
Existing MA guidelines prohibit non nurses from treating a person without a known allergy.
S.255 would ensure that schools have policies and procedures in place for the management of students with food allergies (including unknown allergies) and will help schools comply with the existing epinephrine regulations (105 CMR 210).
This bill would also require school staff to receive some form of annual professional development on providing a safe environment for students with food allergies.
If passed, this law will build on the already existing MA guidelines by making policy, education, and epinephrine availability consistently implemented across the Commonwealth.
As a longtime advocate for food allergy safety, i was proud to testify today in support of my bill requiring schools to have food allergy plans, which will ensure that schools have the training and expertise necessary to prevent and respond to allergic incidents. Thank you to everyone who came out to testify today and share your story. ... See MoreSee Less
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