CINCINNATI, OH — Today, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the passage of a new federal law which would protect American children with severe allergic reactions. At Fairview German School in Clifton, Brown also applauded the House passage of Ohio House Bill 296, which would allow Ohio schools to maintain a supply of epinephrine without a prescription for any student that may experience life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Finally, Brown urged the Ohio Statehouse to take further action. Building on Ohio House Bill 296 with additional legislation ensuring that all Ohio schools maintain emergency epinephrine will allow Ohio to qualify for priority federal funding signed into law last month.

“While Ohio House Bill 296 moves our state in the right direction, more must be done to ensure that all schools have lifesaving medication on hand,” Brown said. “Schools should not just be allowed to maintain a supply of epinephrine for students who may face life threatening food allergies. They should all ensure emergency measures for extreme allergic reactions. This could save lives and better assure the well-being of our school children.” 

Current Ohio law only allows schools to keep an EpiPen—which injects epinephrine—for students with a known allergy and a prescription written specifically for the individual student. Until the Ohio bill becomes law, educators, administrators, and “Good Samaritans” are not allowed to use an EpiPen in the event of an emergency unless the student needing treatment has a prescription, even if that student is having a life threatening allergic reaction. Allergic reactions, like anaphylactic shock, can occur within minutes of exposure to any allergen. Food allergies are a common cause of anaphylactic shock, and one in 13 children has food allergies—an average of two children in every classroom. 

Joining Brown to raise awareness of this issue was Dr. Sharon D’Souza, a Cincinnati mother who has three sons at Fairview German School, two of whom have severe nut allergies. Also joining Brown was Dr. Marilyn Crumpton, Medical Director at the Division of School & Adolescent Health for the Cincinnati Health Department.

Brown is a co-sponsor of the School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which was signed into law by President Obama. The new federal law gives priority federal funding for asthma control programs to states that ensure that all schools maintain a supply of epinephrine. While Ohio House Bill 296 allows Ohio schools to maintain emergency epinephrine, further action is required for Ohio to be eligible for these federal funds.

“We must do everything we can to ensure that our children are safe and can receive the treatment they need if they suffer a life threatening, allergic reaction at school,” Brown said. “This new federal law gives priority funding to states that take the important steps necessary to ensure epinephrine is available for students in case of an emergency.”

Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction, causing a severe, rapid, and whole-body response. Exposure to any allergen can cause anaphylactic shock, but the most common allergens are food, insect stings, and medications. Asthmatics and those with seasonal allergies are also at risk. The most dangerous aspects of the reaction are impaired breathing from swelling of the throat, and low blood pressure, which starves the brain, organs, and heart of oxygen. Epinephrine is a life-saving treatment for anaphylaxis that should be given immediately after symptoms begin. It is safe and metabolized quickly. 

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act seeks to protect children by giving states a preference for federal asthma-related grants if those states ensure that all public elementary and secondary schools to:

  • Maintain a supply of epinephrine injectors, called EpiPens;
  • Allow trained school personnel to administer an epinephrine injector to a student having an anaphylactic reaction;
  • Have a plan for having trained school personnel to administer epinephrine on the premises of the school during hours of operation; and
  • Require the State Attorney General to certify that applicable civil liability laws have been reviewed and are adequate.

Kate King, the President of the Ohio School Nurses Association (OSNA), echoed Brown’s call for action.

“Once an infrequent occurrence, anaphylaxis has increased dramatically,” King said. “Approximately 25 percent of students who experience anaphylaxis were not previously diagnosed with a life-threatening allergy. School staff must not only be aware but also prepared to prevent or respond to an anaphylactic reaction to be effective in supporting a student with a life-threatening emergency. If a child who does not have a prescribed epinephrine auto injector has an anaphylactic reaction at school, the school nurse often has to choose between using another child’s epinephrine injector, which is illegal, or waiting for EMS which could result in the death of a child.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that food allergies account for more than 300,000 emergency room visits each year, and as many as 150 to 200 deaths annually. Ten percent of American children have asthma and about 0.5 percent of children will have an anaphylactic reaction to insect stings. The largest numbers of severe allergic reactions are in children and adolescents. 

The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act is endorsed by the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE); American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP); American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI); American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM); and National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP).

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