AANMA Applauds Federal Initiatives Addressing Food Allergy Management In Schools

McLEAN, Va., Oct. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today marks significant progress for the estimated 4-6 percent of children in the United States affected by food allergies. The prevalence of food allergies among children increased 50 percent during 1997-2011, posing substantial challenges for schools.

As the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued new school food allergy management guidelines, the U.S. Senate took another step toward ensuring safety for schoolchildren when the Subcommittee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions unanimously approved S. 1503, the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, to move out of committee. The measure now moves to the full Senate for a vote.

"This legislation will help save lives of those who experience an anaphylactic reaction and don't have a prescribed epinephrine auto-injector," says Tonya Winders, chief operating officer of Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA). "The legislation provides a funding incentive to states to enact laws allowing school personnel to stock and administer a non-student-specific epinephrine auto-injector in case of an emergency."

AANMA is actively engaged with members of the U.S. Senate and urges patients, parents and advocates to contact their Senators and ask them to support S. 1503. A companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives passed on July 30, 2013.

AANMA has been instrumental in emphasizing the need for anaphylaxis emergency preparedness laws on federal and state levels. Its USAnaphylaxis™ Map, an interactive web tool available at http://www.aanma.org/USAnaphylaxis, highlights the 28 states that have passed emergency stock epinephrine legislation and details how people can get involved in their state.

The CDC's newly issued "Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies In Schools and Early Care and Education Programs" were devised to support and implement food allergy management and prevention plans in schools.

The guidelines were designed to ensure daily management of food allergies in children, prepare for food allergy emergencies, provide training for school administration and staff, and educate children and families about food allergies, according to CDC. Download a PDF of the guidelines at http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/foodallergies/pdf/13_243135_A_Food_Allergy_Web_508.pdf.

About AANMA
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending needless death and suffering due to asthma, allergies and related conditions. AANMA specializes in sharing medically , family friendly accurate information through its award-winning publications Allergy & Asthma Today magazine and The MA Report newsletter, its web site at http://www.aanma.org and numerous community outreach programs. Follow AANMA on Facebook at facebook.com/AANMA and on Twitter at twitter.com/AANMA.

Contact: Gary Fitzgerald
Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics
703-641-9595
[email protected]

SOURCE Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics

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