The NYC Board of Health approved new amendments to the Health Code last week. Under the new mandate, nearly 3,000 city-regulated child care will be required to properly store and maintain two epinephrine auto-injectors on site, according to a press release. An auto-injector is a prescription medicine used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or who have a history of serious allergic reactions as a result of exposure to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, soy, insect bites, and other allergens.
Child care centers will also be required to provide proper training and have at least one staff member on site whenever children are present who is trained to recognize the symptoms of anaphylactic shock, administer an epinephrine auto-injector and initiate required follow-up procedures (calling 911, notifying a child’s parent or guardian, and reporting the incident to the Health Department).
Kaléo, a Richmond, Virginia-based pharmaceutical company, will donate 7,500 auto-injectors to the Health Department. The agency will begin distributing the Epinephrine auto-injectors in September.
“Building on its legacy of ensuring the safety of our youngest children, the Board of Health recognized the need for epinephrine auto-injectors at child care sites across the city,” said health commissioner Mary T. Bassett, M.D., M.P.H. “Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction, which can be treated with an epinephrine auto-injector. I am thankful to Kaléo for its generous donation to child care sites in New York City.”
The Board of Health will also require additional training for child care sites. Staff will receive extended training in areas like cognitive development, social emotional learning, family engagement, infection control, emergency response, and mental health first aid.
