An allergic reaction on the Eurostar…
Signifying the importance of #AllergyAwarenessWeek almost on cue: a child has an allergic reaction on the Eurostar, and there's no adrenaline available.
Having lived with a severe nut allergy for my whole life - this is pretty much my worst nightmare, and my reason behind founding Kitt Medical.
You see, severe allergic reactions ('anaphylaxis') can be fatal within 10 minutes, unless the individual is treated immediately with an adrenaline auto-injector pen (AAI).
But studies have found that almost half of those with allergies don’t carry their own pens, as they expire regularly and are easy to forget (I would know!)
Current rules and regulations set by UK government are incredibly restrictive around POM's (Prescription only medicines) - a category which AAI's fall into.
At the moment we are only able to supply our Anaphylaxis Kitt service to UK school premises (and a few other limited exceptions), in accordance with Schedule 17 of The Human Medicines Regulations 2012.
But doesn't it make a lot of sense to have a system in place - just like a defibrillator, but for allergies - that could provide emergency treatment for anaphylaxis in public places?
Nadim Ednan-Laperouse OBE lost his daughter Natasha to an incredibly severe allergic reaction to a Pret baguette back in 2016. He now runs 'Natasha Allergy Research Foundation', and stated: “Access to adrenaline auto-injectors can be a matter of life or death. Given the exploding numbers of severe allergic reactions among children and young people, it is obvious that first-aid kits on planes, trains, ferries and cruise liners should contain AAIs."
In the future, we hope to be able to support ALL organisations and public places, from restaurants and sports clubs to train stations to airplanes - but as Simon Williams, chief executive of the charity Anaphylaxis UK said in the support of wider availability of AAIs - "this will require a change in legislation."
It's only a matter of time.
To read the article by The Guardian, click here.
