Good news from the South Australian Department for Education

Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia has received confirmation that health support planning information on allergy and anaphylaxis  is now also available to parents and school/childcare staff on the Department’s public website.

The Department is also pleased to announce that as of the end of September, state schools and preschools will have an adrenaline autoinjector for general use available.

(Please be aware that the ‘general use’ adrenaline autoinjector is not a substitute for children and young people who are at high risk of anaphylaxis, and who have been prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector).

Adrenaline autoinjectors for general use are most likely to be used when:

• an individual who is known to be at risk of anaphylaxis does not have their own device immediately accessible or the device is out of date

• a second dose of adrenaline is required before an ambulance has arrived

• an individual's device has misfired or accidentally been discharged

• a previously diagnosed individual with mild allergy who was not prescribed an adrenaline autoinjector has their first episode of anaphylaxis

• or less commonly, an undiagnosed individual has a first episode of anaphylaxis and was not previously known to be at risk (eg a child having their first reaction at school).

For more information see: Anaphylaxis and severe allergies on the South Australia Department for Education website.