Greetings! At last 2021 has arrived and not a minute too soon, either. Concerning asthma and allergies, 2020 was a pretty good year for our legislative agenda in Washington DC. Please don't laugh! Thanks to sponsorship from congressmen and senators, H.R. 2468 the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act has been enacted into law. After patient and persistent lobbying by activists, advocates and a coalition of national non-profit groups, schools across America now have additional ways and means to protect and treat school kids with asthma and life-threatening allergies. For all the details, please read on!
ANNOUNCING: Anaphylaxis Emergency Training direct from the internet into your home or office!
Our Epi Near You NY anaphylaxis emergency training program is now VIRTUAL! At each seminar our association would help provide:
Free state approved training presentation
New York State recognized certification
Assistance for public entities to obtain a non-patient specific prescription for emergency epinephrine
In February we will broadcast our next seminar via our website. Upcoming dates will be posted on our Website very soon. See you (virtually) next month!
Reported and edited by Jon Terry January 14th, 2021
Greetings! Last March our association participated in a major advocacy event at the US capitol lobbying for passage of two bills. The result was enactment of H.R. 2468 and advancement of H.R. 2217 the "Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2019." (In this issue of our e-newsletter, you'll find more information about H.R 2468 within our next article.)
"We came so close to labeling sesame and passing H.R. 2117/S. 3451 or the FASTER Act," says Jason Linde, Vice President, Federal Government Relations at Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). "Different versions of FASTER were passed by the House and Senate this year."
The Senate FASTER Act bill is not the same as what passed in the House earlier this fall. Because of that, it will have to go back to the House for a vote before being sent to the White House to be officially signed into law. The House revision will hopefully be finished by early February.
New Federal Law Helps Schools Prevent Asthma and Anaphylaxis Emergencies
A new federal law now provides grant preferences to states that take proactive steps in helping the millions of school age children impacted by allergies and asthma. In Spring 2020, the Allergy Advocacy Association lobbied lawmakers to pass the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act. This new law may provide an opportunity to expand our educational/training, through our The Epi Near You NY program.
You can read all the questions and answers about epinephrine.
H.R. 2468 the School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act Becomes Law
By Patrick Morris January 12th, 2020
This January the bi-partisan School-Based Allergies and Asthma Management Program Act H.R. 2468 was signed into law. This law will provide assistance to millions of school children dealing with allergies and asthma. It does so by providing preferences for grants, under the children's asthma treatment program, to states that require schools to establish allergy and asthma management programs.
Throughout 2020 the corona virus pandemic has been global in its impact. The arrival of a COVID-19 Vaccine has brought relief, hope and questions. Is the vaccine safe? In a very few cases individuals that received the vaccine had an anaphylactic reaction. Were these cases isolated incidents? Were there other types of reactions? Did these individuals have a history of anaphylactic reactions? The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently published a study of anaphylactic reactions that occurred during December 14–23, 2020 showing that such reactions are exceedingly rare.
Important note:This article is intended for those who understand vaccines as critical to maintaining their health and that of their families. It is NOT intended for those who are anti-vaccine and as such is NOT intended to foster a discussion on the merits of vaccines in this forum. It is also NOT intended to foster a discussion of the lethality of COVID-19 or the need for civic action to limit the spread of the disease.
In November 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued its draft guidance regarding the voluntary disclosure of sesame as an allergen. The deadline for comments has now been extended to February 25, 2021. This 45 day extension gives the allergy advocacy community another opportunity to provide critical input on this important issue. Comments need to be sent prior to the deadline to ensure that the FDA can evaluate them prior to their starting work on the final guidance.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it is extending the comment period on its draft guidance regarding voluntary disclosure of sesame as an allergen to February 25, 2021, an extension of 45 days. Comments should be submitted before February 25, 2021 to ensure that FDA considers them before beginning work on the final guidance.
