As the article discusses, these incidents have been the catalyst for a national call-to-action. In a very well-supported article from Margaret Carlson in Bloomberg News, as well as a companion piece written in Forbes Magazine, the argument is made for a program from the federal government to offer incentives to school districts to stock EpiPens at school. The legislation is comparable to a bill, signed into law in 2000, that allows for defibrillators to be used in an emergency without risk of liability (which is why they are now able to be kept in schools). Additionally, legislation on this issues is pending at the state level throughout the country (including both Virginia and Maryland, where all the offices of the Allergy and Asthma Care Centers are currently located).

Dr. Alle and her colleagues that make up the Allergy & Asthma Care Centers network, strongly endorse the stocking of epinephrine in schools, but being on the forefront of this issue, we understand that the argument is not just about having EpiPens on hand. It is also based on developing the policy and protocol for using them.

• Who at a school can be authorized to make the decision?
• Who can do the procedure?
• Where can the drug be stored safely?
• What paperwork needs to be provided to the parents and the school district?

All of these questions speak to why the education component is so critical. Students, parents and school officials all have to be on the same page and everything should be done in collaboration with expertsin this particular area of medicine.

Additionally, it is IMPERATIVE that children be aware of their limitations. We understand that at different ages, children have stages of “curiosity”, “indifference” and even “peer pressure”, but when it comes to life-and-death circumstances, those inclinations need to be squashed for safety sake. Ideally, this needs to start at home, but when the children are at school, the lessons need to continue.

No, unfortunately it’s not a new Star Wars character. It is the latest Influenza A subtype of swine flu that has not only been making its way through parts of the northeast U.S., but also through the mainstream media on local, regional and national channels.

There has already been a fair amount written about the new strain. The general facts are this:

• The new strain was developed from a combination of two previously defined forms of influenza.
• There has been some evidence that it can be transmitted person-to-person.
• The symptoms present themselves in the same way as most influenza strains do (High fever, Muscle aches, Runny nose, Scratchy throat, etc.)
• While research is still being conducted to identify all the differences between the H3N2 and its predecessors, one notable difference is that middle-aged people, and to a greater extent, seniors, are at a higher risk of vulnerability than with previous strains.

However, not all the articles we have read present the basic facts. Some articles and editorials that are circulating the web are being written in a way to create panic, using “buzzwords” to their advantage. We understand that the media is expected to come out with alerts on this and is obligated to share any new information that is distributed through reputable sources. The problem of course comes from the methodical release of information (which causes the story to continue to be at the forefront) and the phrasing of the information (which may increase readership, but often sensationalizes the necessary facts). These articles increase the level of concern with people that may not need to worry.

We, as experts in this corner of the healthcare industry – and an organization that offers practical medical advice to hundreds of patients every week – have the job of taking the factual information and highlightinf what you really need to know. With that in mind, our overall statement for right now is this:

DON’T PANIC!!

We understand it is human nature to worry, and if you are the parent of a school-age child (especially one that has a known allergy), you may be used to being overly cautious. But taking an undue level of precaution that causes additional stress is not healthy either. Some facts that may help to alleviate your concern:

• Between July 2011 and today, there have been only 12 cases of humans reported having the H3N2 virus.
• All of these cases have been in the United States (Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Pennsylvania and West Virginia).
• Only 1 adult has been reported with the virus along with eleven children.
• No reports have been issued anywhere else in the world.

We understand that doing nothing different may feel either complacent or unnatural, but that is not our advice either. We still heavily recommend you adhere to our standard prevention tips associated with spreading germs (washing of hands, covering of mouths, getting a flu shot, etc.). However, aside from these, going to an extreme like refusing to leave the house is a step too far based on the information that experts have right now.

Your physical health is as important to us at AACC as it is to you, but so is your enjoyment of life. Our goal is to make you the exact right level of cautious so you can be as aware as you need to be, and relaxed the rest of the time.

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Allergy & Asthma Care Centers has been providing high-quality, comprehensive allergy and asthma care to the Washington DC area for 15 years. Our practice features state-of-the-art care for allergy and asthma sufferers, and offers a variety of highly specialized procedures that utilize the latest medical technology.

Recently, a lot of attention has been focused on the healthcare system in our country. We know that you see these constant changes in both the system and the medicine, and it can be overwhelming to sort through. At Allergy and Asthma Care Centers, we spend a lot of time and energy to stay on top of the most current and effective procedures in healthcare. This is where the blog enters the plan. Allergy and Asthma Care Centers will publish a new blog twice monthly. We plan to cover some fun, general allergy and asthma related themes as well as more in-depth related topics!

The blogs will be written by physicians and staff at Allergy and Asthma Care Centers to give you a chance to get to know them better. By commenting on the blog site, you can ask questions about each topic or make suggestions for future topics. To stay up-to-date on the daily/weekly happenings at the Centers, please “like” us on our new Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter, @MyAllergyCare.

Happy Holidays from your friends at Allergy and Asthma Care Centers.  And don’t forget the dust released from wrapping paper, shipping boxes, and internal packaging can create a potential problem for asthma and allergy patients.

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Allergy & Asthma Care Centers has been providing high-quality, comprehensive allergy and asthma care to the Washington DC area for 15 years. Our practice features state-of-the-art care for allergy and asthma sufferers, and offers a variety of highly specialized procedures that utilize the latest medical technology.