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NEW legislation allowing Jersey schools to buy, store and administer spare EpiPens should be extended to include public-facing businesses, an allergy campaigner has said. The law change, which came into force on 20 October, permits trained school staff to use the devices in emergencies on pupils known to be at risk of anaphylaxis. It also allows schools to purchase adrenaline auto-injectors – more commonly known as EpiPens – directly. Previously, parents of children in Jersey with allergies needed to supply an EpiPen to the school which could only be used for the named child. The move has been welcomed by allergy campaigners, who have long called for Jersey to follow the UK’s example, where similar legislation was introduced in 2017. Jersey Food Allergy Group founder Dominic Jones said parents of children with food allergies would be “delighted” by the law change. “Up to 3% of children in Jersey schools are at risk of food-induced anaphylaxis, with UK data indicating most experience a reaction every two to three years,” he explained. “The recent change to local legislation will allow schools to hold generic adrenaline pens in key areas around the school and when on outside trips, enabling teachers and caregivers to respond quickly to anaphylaxis, which can save a child’s life.” However, he urged the government to consider extending the law to allow other commercial venues to hold spare adrenaline pens too. “It would be good to see the order extended in due course, as it is in the UK, to allow other qualifying businesses with occupation health such as theatres, hospitality and retail and transportation hubs to hold spare adrenaline pens,” he said. Mr Jones added that new UK-approved adrenaline nasal sprays could offer a convenient alternative for some allergy sufferers and hoped the devices would soon become available in Jersey. “Whilst not suitable for everyone, they provide a more convenient, smaller device to carry around and can help overcome the ‘needle hesitancy’ some people experience,” he explained. Mr Jones encouraged wider awareness and training, adding: “Adrenaline pens are the defibrillators for allergy and should be available alongside every defibrillator and easily accessible in all educational establishments and other appropriate public places.”
