Deadly Allergy

For COVID-19 Vaccine Anaphylaxis News please see this post.

Featured Articles

Certain Vaccines Increase Food Allergen IGE: Susceptible Post-Millennials Reacting To Adjuvant Exposure, Researchers Suspect by Dawn Papple – “The era of food allergy began with the post-millennial generation, the same faction who received new immunizations during early childhood. Many of these vaccines contain alum, an adjuvant known to induce allergic phenotypes.”

Scratching the Skin Primes the Gut for Allergic Reactions to Food, Mouse Study Suggests – NIH-Funded Research Illuminates Relationship Between Eczema and Food Allergy

September 2024

Deadly food allergies among children doubled over 10-year period, study finds – Theories about what is to blame for this increase include the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in children’s diets, and the widespread use of antibiotics

Family of man who died due to tetanus shot awarded NT$2.5 million (Taiwan) – “After an unspecified period of time, the man eventually died in hospital due to heart and lung failure brought on by an allergic reaction to tetanus antibodies. … The CDC added that the tetanus vaccine, known as tetanus toxoid, may cause shock due to an allergic reaction in approximately one to three out of 100,000 cases.”

August 2024

Report: Peanut allergy caused Mazi Smith’s severe reaction, forced him to miss Cowboys’ preseason game – “Now some details of the episode have come to light, revealing that the 6-foot-3-inch, 328-pounder was frighteningly sidelined by the same common food allergy that affects 1-2% of the U.S. population.”

Devastated British mother describes how Moroccan restaurant staff stopped her leaving and demanded money as her daughter was dying from reaction to their food despite her saying she had allergies – Lily King, 18, had been on holiday to celebrate getting top marks at university – “‘We [used] the Epi Pen. But I left my bag inside the restaurant, and it had my passport and everything in it, I can’t leave it, and I went [inside] to get it back. ‘I told the restaurant, ‘my daughter [is] dying outside’. He said to me, to pay the bill before you’re leaving.’ Mrs King said after spending vital minutes settling the bill she went outside the restaurant to help her daughter, who by this point had used her second Epi-Pen, to no avail.”

Hannah Jacobs, 13, the schoolgirl with severe dairy allergy who died after drinking a Costa Coffee hot chocolate ‘made with milk not soya’ – “Experts estimate that 10 Brits die from an allergic reaction to food each year, with 5,000 people hospitalised for severe reactions. Latest Government figures suggest around 2.4million adults are living with a food allergy in the UK, with hospital admissions for severe reactions more than tripling within the last 20 years.”

April 2024

Australia has a food allergy crisis impacting 10 per cent of infants, but critical research is underway – “When Rupert Hastings first tried peanut butter at just six-months-old he reacted almost instantly. Within 20 seconds, he had hives all over his face, which spread to his body. Then his eyes and lips started to swell. … In Queensland alone, there was a more than 300 per cent increase in the number of children between 0-17 years who were admitted to hospital with anaphylaxis and anaphylactic shock due to adverse food reaction in the past decade to the 2022/2023 financial year.”

Youth charged in Hamilton high school peanut butter assault – “The victim is severely allergic to peanut butter and used her epi-pen but still suffered an allergic reaction and was transported to hospital,” Hamilton Police Service (HPS) said in a statement provided to CP24. Police went on to say that a suspect was subsequently arrested and charged with assault causing bodily harm, criminal harassment, and administering a noxious substance with intent to endanger life or cause bodily harm.”

February 2024

Husband sues Disney for wife’s death after eating ‘allergy-safe’ restaurant meal – NYC doctor Kanokporn Tangsuan had severe dairy and nut allergy, collapsed 45 mins after eating

NYU doctor dies after dining at Disney restaurant where waitstaff insisted food was allergen-free: lawsuit – “A doctor from New York University died shortly after she ate at a Disney Springs restaurants in Florida — and her bereaved husband is blaming negligent staffers, according to a lawsuit. Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at the prestigious NYU Langone hospital in Manhattan, died suddenly after having dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant on Oct. 5.  Her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, has filed a 19-page lawsuit in Orange County, Fla., circuit court, accusing Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of negligence, noting that Tangsuan had made it clear to the waitstaff that she had nut and dairy allergies.”

Toronto parents ‘extremely frustrated’ by 11-hour ER wait at SickKids for infant son’s allergic reaction – CTV News – “Vanessa and Janicije Karic’s son had a bad allergic reaction to eggs. But, while they rushed their six-month-old son to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, they didn’t see a doctor until about 11 hours later. ‘It was scary. It was scary for the fact that we didn’t know how bad it could be. We didn’t know whether he was anaphylactic or not because this was his first time eating solid foods,’ Vanessa Karic told CTV News Toronto’s Sean Leathong in an interview.”

January 2024

Dancer who died from mislabeled cookies suffered allergic reaction too intense for EpiPen: attorney – “The New York City professional dancer who died from an allergic reaction to incorrectly labeled cookies suffered such extreme anaphylactic shock that her EpiPen was ineffective, her family’s lawyer said — as they vowed to seek ‘justice’ from the supermarket that sold the treats. Órla Baxendale, 25, was rehearsing at a dance studio in Connecticut on Jan. 11 when she suffered a severe allergic reaction to a Vanilla Florentine cookie from Stew Leonard’s, attorney Marijo C. Adimey said in a statement Thursday. ‘Orla was very careful and hyper-vigilant about everything she ate, and always thoroughly checked the ingredients on all packaging. In addition, she always carried an EpiPen with her and surrounded herself with people who know how to administer one,’ the attorney added. ‘In fact, when this tragic and preventable incident occurred and after she began to have an anaphylactic reaction, an EpiPen was used but due to the severity of her allergy, it was not effective,’ the statement read.”

James Atkinson ‘did not tell restaurant of nut allergy’, inquest told – “A man who died after eating takeaway pizza did not tell the restaurant he had a peanut allergy, an inquest heard. James Atkinson, 23, became unwell after eating food ordered from Dadyal in Newcastle on 10 July 2020. His flatmate Luke Isley told a hearing that he did not think Mr Atkinson, originally from Leeds, mentioned his allergy when he ordered via Deliveroo. The inquest has heard that the computer programmer died from anaphylaxis an hour after ingesting peanuts”

Two COVID Shots Raise Risk of Anaphylaxis, Heart Issues in Older Adolescents – A Norwegian study found a low but significant risk of serious side effects among adolescents a short time following a second COVID-19 vaccination. The tenfold higher risk for anaphylaxis was the most concerning outcome, but the researchers also found swollen lymph nodes and heart issues. Link to study.

November 2023

Lake Travis parents call for expulsion of students following peanut allergy incident
“I lost my only child, on June 26, 2014, after he ate a veggie taco, and he asked three times ‘Does it have peanuts?’ They told him no.”

July 2023

Hospital admissions for life-threatening allergies more than double in England – Number of people taken to hospital increased to 25,721 in 2022-23, from 12,361 two decades before – “The wider availability of foods from around the world and an increase in the number of birch trees being planted are two of the factors behind the doubling of hospital admissions in England for life-threatening allergic reactions in the past 20 years, the UK’s leading allergy charity has said.”

Study Showing 13% of Kids Have 2 or More Allergy-Related Conditions Overlooks Role of Aluminum and Vaccines – New research investigates the progression of allergies from eczema to food allergies to asthma in children, but overlooks vaccines as a potential trigger. Experts cite evidence linking aluminum adjuvants and food proteins in vaccines to allergy development.

One year after deadly allergic reaction, family remembers Mt. Washington man – “More than 32 million Americans live with severe food allergies, and researchers say that number is on the rise. For many people, it can be deadly, including Matthew Briden, 28, of Mount Washington. He died in 2022 after going into anaphylactic shock. This summer, his family marked one year since his death.”

‘It’s one of the great mysteries of our time’: why extreme food allergies are on the rise – and what we can do about them – “When five-year-old Benedict Blythe woke up on the morning of 1 December 2021, he was excited that Christmas was coming. He came downstairs to open the first box in his Advent calendar containing a plastic springy frog and a dairy-free white chocolate (Benedict was allergic to milk, along with many other foods including soy, sesame, eggs and nuts). … That morning, he went off cheerfully to school with a small packet of dairy-free McVitie’s Gingerbread Men for snack time. He seemed happy and healthy when he arrived but by the afternoon, he was dead, having collapsed with anaphylaxis.”

Mother fights for new food allergy awareness law after son dies eating at McAllen restaurant – “After nearly a decade of pushing for food allergy awareness following the death of her son, a determined mother’s hard work paid off as a new law goes into effect this year. In 2014, Sergio Alexander Lopez died after ingesting peanut butter at a McAllen restaurant. Before eating, Lopez checked with employees whether it was safe.”

April 2023

Woman with peanut allergy dies 4 years after reaction at brother’s wedding party – Tania Kaur Khasriya, 24, consumed nuts while tucking into a meal at the celebration at the Mehfil Restaurant in Southall, west London, on 26 July 2018 and never regained consciousness

March 2023

Teen Dies from Exposure to Milk from Coffee Made in Contaminated Machine – “Irene, a 17-year-old girl with a milk allergy from Manzanares, Ciudad Real, Spain, was on a trip to nearby Campo de Criptana to take part in a series of religious events organized by her pastoral youth group.  … The girl was reportedly very careful to avoid milk due to her allergy. A source said the group had gone to a friend’s house for coffee between activities, and although the host was careful to serve her black coffee without milk, the coffee maker — a Nespresso-type that uses pods — was contaminated with milk protein. That slight trace of milk was enough to trigger her anaphylaxis leading to this horrific tragedy.”

February 2023

Carstairs couple’s honeymoon turns costly after medical scare – “When Alexandra phoned the insurance company to tell them of what had transpired, she was shocked to learn that because her husband’s allergy is considered a pre-existing condition, this could void their coverage.”

Young bride-to-be dies after using the wrong spoon to stir her tea – Jess Prinsloo had just got engaged when the unthinkable happened. – “Jess always carried two EpiPens in case of an emergency but, on this occasion, they failed her. … Craig, also from Salisbury, is now faced with medical bills of $A6,579 plus $A2,133 in coroner fees.”

Allergy Mom Reflects on 3 Tragedies – and Vulnerability – Allergic Living – Anaphylaxis deaths of Alyssa “Aly” West, Kierstin Hedin, Emerson Kate Cole, may they rest in peace.

Fact Check: Vaccines Do NOT Cause Nut Allergies In Children – experts choose their words carefully!

January 2023

Emerson Kate Cole – dies from anaphylaxis suffered at school

‘My body was burning’: Suffering since COVID shots, Gatineau man desperate for relief – Tisir Otahbachi developed debilitating skin condition after getting Moderna vaccine in 2021 – “Bensimon referred Otahbachi to Ottawa allergist Antony Ham Pong, who on Aug. 29 provided him with a letter confirming that Otahbachi suffered ‘a severe blistering, weeping peeling eczematoid skin reaction’ shortly after receiving the Moderna vaccine.”

2 in 5 Kids Have Multiple Food Allergies — and It’s Taking a Toll on Their Mental and Physical Health – Two in five U.S. children and nearly half of adults with a food allergy are allergic to multiple foods, according to new research which also found that as the number of food allergies a person has increases, so does the effect on their physical and psychological health. By The Defender Staff

“Food allergies and vaccines: What’s the connection?

In a recent episode of VSRF (Vaccine Safety Research Foundation) weekly update, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Children’s Health Defense (CHD) chairman and chief litigation counsel, and VSRF founder Steve Kirsch discussed the relationship between the explosion of food allergies over the last five decades and childhood vaccination.

According to Kennedy, in 1968, the rate of chronic disease in the U.S. was 6% among children. By 1986, that had risen to 11.8% and by 2006, it was up to 54%. That means that more than half of U.S. children have neurological diseases (ADHD, autism, etc.), obesity, autoimmune disease and allergic diseases.

“All of this appeared in epidemic form suddenly in 1989,” Kennedy said. These chronic health conditions existed prior to that, but the numbers started soaring in 1989.

As a founder of the Food Allergy Initiative, now the Food Allergy Research and Education network, which raised more than $200 million for allergy research, Kennedy explained that most research focused on treating allergies rather than understanding their causes.

These treatments, he said, are developed by inducing allergies in lab rats. Researchers inject rats with aluminum adjuvants from the hepatitis vaccine, along with the protein for the given allergen being studied.

The aluminum “does not just give you allergies to materials that are in that vaccine, it will give you an allergy to materials that are in the ambient environment,” Kennedy explained. “So if you get that vaccine when there is a Timothy weed outbreak, you may now have a lifetime allergy to Timothy weed.”

Recent research by Brian S. Hooker, Ph.D., P.E., CHD’s chief scientific officer, found that fully vaccinated children were 4.31 times more likely to suffer from serious allergies (requiring an epi-pen) compared to their unvaccinated counterparts.

Hooker’s findings affirmed research by Anthony Mawson, M.A., doctor of public health, an epidemiologist and professor at Jackson State University, which showed a 3.9-time increase in allergies reported among vaccinated children versus unvaccinated children.

According to Kennedy, there are hundreds of studies with similar outcomes. “We created an entire generation of all these allergies by giving them these early vaccines.”

November 2022

14-Year-Old Leads ‘Miserable Life’ After Being Injured by Vaccines as an Infant – Laura Chicos … leads “a miserable life,” according to her mother, with allergic reactions to “almost everything.”

August 2022

Maple Ridge woman compensated for mother’s death from COVID-19 vaccine – Frustrated by Canada’s Vaccine Injury Support Program – “Her mother had received a Moderna vaccine. Ten minutes later, she was having a hard time breathing. Soon she was unconscious. A nurse administered two EpiPens – one in a leg, and one in an arm, but they couldn’t save her. “She was gone in 15 minutes.” It had been a severe anaphylactic shock, despite the fact that she had never had an allergic reaction in the past. “I was stunned,” said DuPerron. “I couldn’t wrap my head around it.”

July 2022

Family petitions for dedicated allergy clinic in western Quebec after death of teen daughter – “On the night of June 25th, Sarah-Émilie Hubert, 15, suffered a severe allergic reaction. She was allergic to milk and eggs. After administering an EpiPen — a spring-loaded injector containing epinephrine which is often prescribed to those diagnosed with severe allergies — her father, Stéphane Hubert, and mother, Lyne Robert, took her to the emergency room as she continued to experience difficulty breathing. Resuscitation attempts by hospital staff proved unsuccessful and Sarah-Émilie Hubert was pronounced dead a few hours later.”

June 2022

Turkish Airlines kicks family off flight because of six-year-old’s nut allergy – Exclusive: ‘He said, “If you want to fly on this plane you have to sign this piece of paper that you take all responsibility if anything happens to your daughter”’

Turkish Airlines Kicks Off Six-Year-Old So It Can Serve Nuts In Business Class

EXCLUSIVE: Girl, 14, with severe nut allergy nearly died aboard BA flight after passenger ‘refused to stop eating peanuts despite TWICE being told by cabin crew he was putting the teenager’s life at risk’
A mother has told how of her horror experience at 30,000ft after her daughter suffered from a nut allergy
Poppy Jones, 14, flew from Antigua when a passenger opened a pack of peanuts
Cabin crew had twice warned the man it was unsafe due to Poppy’s allergies
Poppy blacked out and needed oxygen as well as two shots of an EpiPen
Poppy’s mother Joanna Jones, 39, said: ‘It was a nightmare for all of us and I thought she might die’

EXCLUSIVE: Parents of girl, 15, who died from allergic reaction on plane demand airlines stop passengers eating peanuts after 14-year-old with nut allergy passes out
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died in 2016 after suffering an anaphylactic shock
She had bought a sandwich in Pret before boarding a flight at Heathrow
Yesterday, Joanna Jones, 39, feared for her daughter’s life on a flight to Gatwick
A passenger carried on eating nuts despite Poppy’s life-threatening allergy

May 2022

Deliveroo pizza death of ‘careful’ nut-allergic man, 23, sparks inquest after family push – AN INQUEST hearing is due to be held into the death of James Atkinson, a peanut-allergic man who died after eating pizza ordered through Deliveroo.

January 2022

Severe Snack Reaction: A Teen’s Trauma and Food Allergy Lawsuit – “Hey mom, we have a problem. This has nuts in it,” said Trevor Gartman, then 16, from the backseat of his mother’s car.”

Young mum suffers a heart attack and DIES after eating a dessert – leaving her three children orphaned – and her heartbroken family searching for answers – Hanna Scigala, 31, from Newcastle suffered an anaphylactic attack on January 4 – She was at home with her kids when her nut allergy was triggered about 9.30pm – The single mother was rushed to hospital, but tragically died two days later – Her children , 12, nine, and three, will be taken in by their retired grandparents – Sister Stephanie has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the kids upbringing

‘Extremely fit’ dad-of-two dies after freak allergic reaction despite having no known allergies – Alistair Hendon, 56, suffered an acute anaphylactic reaction at his home on August 18 last year – despite having no known allergies. – “An inquest was held into the popular part-time school caretaker’s death on Wednesday, January 5, Somerset Live reports.  … Dr Sheffield found that the primary cause of death was “a sudden cardiac failure in a morphologically normal heart” and theorised that it may have been a case of sudden adult death syndrome. However, blood tests by Dr Sarah Johnston – a consultant immunologist for the North Bristol NHS Trust – found that Alistair had “significantly raised” levels of mast cell tryptase when he died. In her opinion, this indicated that he had suffered anaphylaxis following an allergic reaction, but she could not tell what had caused it.”

December 2021

Former employee with severe anaphylaxis is suing oilsands giant for wrongful dismissal over vaxx – When her employers found out that Naomi Smart had contacted lawyer James Kitchen for his expertise, they fired her and wanted her to take a pittance of a severance.

August 2021

‘Borderline medical discrimination’: B.C. man to be denied services for vaccine allergy – Jens Mowatt is not an anti-vaccine crusader, but with no medical exemptions to B.C.’s impending vaccine passport system, he may as well be. Mowatt of New Westminster is one of the very few Canadians to suffer a severe allergic reaction to a COVID-19 vaccine. He says it didn’t take long after his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in May for signs of anaphylaxis to appear. “It was getting incredibly tight in my throat, incredibly tight in my chest, to the point where I could barely talk,” he described. ‘The nurse, she wasn’t messing around. She just took me to the back, grabbed an Epipen, and put it right through my pants.’ Mowatt, 26, also needed Epipen injections on each of the following two days. An allergist later told him he could not get a second dose of an mRNA vaccine.”

June 2021

Study: Fewer Cases of Autism, Allergies in Unvaccinated Children – A study published this month in the Journal of Translational Science found children who were fully or partially vaccinated were diagnosed with autism, severe allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, recurring ear infections and ADD/ADHD more often than children who were completely unvaccinated. By Children’s Health Defense Team

May 2021

Grieving father calls for change in the law after his allergic son died from eating Byron Burgers meal as he celebrated his 18th birthday – Owen Carey was celebrating 18th birthday with family at Byron’s branch at the O2 arena in 2017 shortly before he died from a severe allergic reaction to dairy – Owen made waiter aware but was not told chicken was marinated in buttermilk – Owen’s family are campaigning for change in the law which calls for restaurants to list ingredients on menus to honour his memory and to prevent future deaths

April 2021

British schoolgirl, 9, died after severe allergic reaction to milk in a hot dog bun while on dream family holiday to Disney World in Florida, inquest hears – Ava-Grace Stevens had been with family at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida – She had an allergic reaction to cows milk in a hot dog bun bought from a US shop – Her father Geoffrey said US food labels were not as clear to read as those in UK – “‘Sadly, the night we lost her, in October 2019, the medications we always thought could save her life were ineffective. ‘My husband, Geoff, and the emergency services worked tirelessly to save my little girl but to no avail.’My tremendous guilt lies in the last words she heard me say. I’d given her the first EpiPen; it didn’t work!”

January 2021

Man Helps Pass Law That Could Have Saved Wife’s Life When She Died 4 Years Ago: ‘Bittersweet’– Laura Levis died just steps away from an emergency room as she sought help during an asthma attack, her husband Peter DeMarco said – People.com

Hundreds line the streets for funeral of Liverpool fan, 12, who died on Christmas Day – Schoolboy Cason’s death has devastated an entire community and many turned out to support his heartbroken family – “Cason leaves behind his mum, Louise, and three brothers – twins Cowen and Corley, 18, and Caiden, 13.  According to his family, Cason collapsed on Christmas Day hours after complaining of being short of breath.  His mum, Louise, rushed Cason to Wharton Recreation Park and gave her son, who had asthma and a nut allergy, a shot from his epinephrine auto-injector to try and revive him but when this failed she rang for an ambulance. The Winsford Academy pupil was rushed to Leighton Hospital in Crewe but sadly died a short time later.”

December 2020

Flu vaccine adverse events increase to new high in Taiwan – “Among the 138 severe adverse events, three were three suspicious cases of acute myocarditis, seven of anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction), one of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, 11 of facial palsy, five of Guillain-Barre syndrome, and nine of epilepsy and convulsion. There were also cases of febrile convulsion, spinal meningitis, encephalitis, and rhabdomyolysis, a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly.”

5 Questions Fauci and FDA Need to Answer on Pfizer and Moderna COVID Vaccines – As reports surfaced today of yet another healthcare worker who suffered a severe allergic reaction to Pfizer’s COVID vaccine, it’s time the FDA and Fauci explain what they plan to do about it. By Lyn Redwood, RN, MSN – Children’s Health Defense

Suspicions grow that nanoparticles in Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine trigger rare allergic reactions – Sciencemag.org – “Severe allergy-like reactions in at least eight people who received the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech over the past 2 weeks may be due to a compound in the packaging of the messenger RNA (mRNA) that forms the vaccine’s main ingredient, scientists say. A similar mRNA vaccine developed by Moderna, which was authorized for emergency use in the United States on Friday, also contains the compound, polyethylene glycol (PEG).”

October 2020

20-year-old Cleveland man dies after asthma attack; family is one of many postponing a celebration of life because of the pandemic – “A young Cleveland man’s family says he died a few weeks ago after suffering a severe asthma attack.”

Jonnie Meek: Second inquest finds boy, 3, died from milk allergy – “Jonnie Meek, from Cannock, died at Stafford Hospital in 2014. A coroner originally ruled he had died from natural causes, but this has always been disputed by his parents. The four-day hearing at Shrewsbury Coroner’s Court heard how Jonnie, who had a milk allergy, “turned purple” during a trial feed with a new hospital formula and later died. The boy, who had a rare congenital disability, had only turned three two days earlier and had had three previous allergic reactions.”

September 2020

Ruben Bousquet: Boy died after allergic reaction to popcorn – The family of a Lee boy who died after a severe allergic reaction to milk found in popcorn were “disappointed” to receive no conclusive answers from an inquest. – “The schoolboy was allergic to milk, soya and eggs – but had eaten popcorn from the same cinema for years without any problems. Ruben, who played for the London Knightz ice hockey team, was watching a film with his father at the IMAX Odeon, on April 17, the inquest at Southwark Coroners Court heard. At a previous hearing, it is said he started to feel unwell after consuming popcorn with a Fanta drink at around 8.30pm. But the youngster had forgotten his EpiPen, so his father quickly drove him home to retrieve it. Ruben’s breathing was initially fine, but it worsened as they approached the family home in Lee, a 15-minute drive from the cinema. He developed hives on his chest and began clenching at his throat, the hearing heard.”

August 2020

DBV Technologies’ Peanut Allergy Patch Suffers FDA Setback – A request for market approval of a skin patch developed by French biotech DBV Technologies to treat peanut allergy has been turned down by the FDA, which has requested more data and design changes.

July 2020

Aimmune says patients begin treatment with peanut allergy drug as COVID-19 lockdowns ease

June 2020

AllerGenis Begins Testing Patient Samples for Peanut Allergy Using Proprietary Epitope Mapping Technology

New drug can prevent life-threatening anaphylaxis, shows study – “The drugs used in the study are known as BTK inhibitors. BTK stands for an enzyme called Bruton’s tyrosine kinase, which is found inside cells, including mast cells. The reason BTK inhibitors work to block allergic reactions is that by inhibiting, or blocking, the BTK enzyme, the mast cells cannot be triggered by allergens and allergic antibody to release histamine and other allergic mediators.”

May 2020

Boca’s Cinemark Sued Over Child Peanut Allergy, Served Apple Crisp

Largest European Quantitative Study on Peanut Allergy Confirms Significant Need, Burden and Psychosocial Impact of Peanut Allergy on Allergic Individuals and their Caregivers — Study highlights need to address varying levels of effective disease management, and the associated feelings of uncertainty, stress and isolation across eight European countries — Country-specific data show German respondents experience highest levels of anxiety, more than half of UK respondents report being bullied, and feelings of isolation are most common among French respondents

Primary school bans dairy products and Twisties from kids’ lunchboxes to protect children who have allergies – The rules were enforced to protect a year 1 boy with life-threatening anaphylaxis – Sandringham Primary School in Melbourne was destroyed by a fire in February – Makeshift classrooms don’t have sinks for kids to wash their hands after eating

Melbourne primary school bans dairy products in ‘unmanageable’ allergy strategy

March 2020

Hooked epinephrine auto-injector devices in children: four case reports with three different proposed mechanisms – Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology

Pfizer/Mylan letter to Healthcare Providers – FDA
Subject: Important Safety Information on the EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr® Auto-Injectors and their authorized generic versions:
– Risk of device failure due to spontaneous activation.
– Difficulty removing the device from the carrier tube may also occur.
– Use errors.
These issues could delay or prevent emergency treatment when needed.

Malfunctioning EpiPens could harm patients, companies say – “U.S. regulators on Tuesday warned the public about malfunctions involving some EpiPens, the emergency injectors for severe allergic reactions. The Food and Drug Administration issued the warning after drugmakers Pfizer and Mylan told medical providers that the problems could cause death or serious injuries.”

Dad of boy, 16, who died after suspected allergic reaction from takeaway pays tribute to his ‘best mate’ – “The devastated dad of a 16-year-old boy who died after suffering a suspected allergic reaction from a takeaway has paid tribute to his “best mate, who is gone forever”. Prescot School student Nick Kelly suddenly fell ill after buying doner meat in a tomato sauce at the takeaway in Prescot where he regularly ate. He immediately felt the symptoms and struggled to breathe, but despite running home and his family trying to help him before medical attention arrived, Nick died. … Nick has a lifelong allergy to nuts and legumes such as baked beans and his family state that he was careful not to eat at places he was not familiar with.”

Mother of Pret allergy teen Natasha Ednan-Laperouse says sufferers still ‘put in danger regularly’ as she speaks of cure hope – The tragic and avoidable death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse from a catastrophic allergic reaction to a shop-bought baguette was hailed as ‘watershed moment’ in the fight for safer labelling laws. – “Natasha had been falsely reassured by the lack of any allergen warnings on an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette which she purchased from a Pret a Manger outlet at Heathrow airport in July 2016. The sandwich contained sesame, but this was not listed among the ingredients. Minutes into her flight from London to Nice with her father and best friend, she began feeling unwell with an itchy throat and red welts appearing on her abdomen ‘like a jellyfish sting’. Epipen injections failed to ease the symptoms, and Natasha began struggling to breathe before going into cardiac arrest. She died later the same day in a French hospital. Her parents have campaigned successfully for stricter food labelling, with Natasha’s Law due to come into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from October 2021. The rules will require retailers to provide full ingredients and allergen labelling for all foods which are prepared and pre-packed on the same premises.”

February 2020

‘He was going to be the best dad’: Tragedy as newlywed father-to-be, 37, suddenly stops breathing and DIES after eating barramundi on a date night with his pregnant wife – Alexander Hall had a fatal allergic reaction after eating barramundi in Victoria – The 37-year-old commented on how much he had enjoyed it before his reaction – He didn’t know he was allergic and began sweating before he stopped breathing – Mr Hall’s wife Cassandra is due to give birth to the couple’s first child in May

Chinese takeaway fined £4,000 after customer with peanut allergy suffers severe reaction – The customer rushed to hospital as they started to feel unwell after tucking into their meal from New Golden House in Derby

Kylie Jenner reveals that daughter Stormi has a peanut allergy – ”Her daughter’s allergy doesn’t just stop at peanuts. ‘All nuts, actually,’ Jenner noted.Last June, Jenner revealed in her Instagram stories that Stormi was rushed to the hospital for an ‘allergic reaction.'”

Takeaway customer with nut allergy cheats death after biting into pizza with almond powder – The staggering incident, which will no doubt cause alarm for all allergy sufferers, unfolded at a North Staffordshire takeaway in the Midlands

McDonald’s denies a customer with severe nut allergy who claimed she almost DIED after drinking a coffee from the restaurant was given the wrong milk – Savannah Kyriazopoulos claims she had reaction after being given wrong coffee – She told McDonald’s staff she was allergic but claims she was given almond milk – Make-up artist crashed her car as she gasped for air, she was rushed to hospital – Ms Kyriazopoulos claims staff put her life at risk because they were careless – McDonald’s denies the claim and said CCTV shows no almond milk was touched

Nut allergy sufferer says Ryanair ‘refused’ to stop selling Kinder Buenos on flight – Ayah Wafi, 22, from Birmingham, a masters student researching allergies at University of Manchester, said she told cabin crew members she had an allergy before she boarded the plane

‘BEYOND BROKEN’ Teen, 19, dies after eating prawns at restaurant – and he didn’t know he was allergic – A HEARTBROKEN family have spoken of their agony after a teen died just hours after eating prawns at a Chinese restaurant. Sam Collings, 19, from Smithills in Greater Manchester, had no idea he had an allergy when he ordered the seafood dish at a family meal in Darwen last year.”

Death of UNH student inspires new bill – “A food allergy bill that was inspired by the death of Rachel Hunger, a University of New Hampshire (UNH) student who died after entering cardiac arrest after eating an egg roll she did not know contained peanuts, is working its way through committee.”

January 2020

’We still don’t know why our 12-year-old daughter died after eating curry and chips’ – An inquest found that Holly Stuckey died from a severe allergic reaction but her family still don’t know what caused it – “The heartbroken parents of a 12-year-old girl have left her bedroom untouched for 10 years after she died from what was believed to be an allergic reaction. Holly Stuckey died in her father’s arms on September 5, 2010, after falling unconscious at her home in Maesteg, Bridgend. She had spent the morning shopping with her dad Clive Stuckey before returning home to have her favourite lunch of curry and chips. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary but within 15 minutes, the year eight schoolgirl was slumped in her father’s arms while he tried to save her life. Speaking 10 years after her death, Clive said his daughter went from being a “happy and normal” young girl to gasping for air in a matter of minutes.”

UTEP basketball coach Rodney Terry released from hospital after serious allergic reaction from eating meal – Terry experienced an allergic reaction to a meal during a trip to Miami to face FIU

Oregon School District Pays $120K to Settle Food Allergy Suit – “The school served her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on her eighth day of school, claiming it was OK to eat because it contained sunflower seed butter, which was false, the suit said. The school then failed to recognize when the student went into shock, thinking only she was ill, according to the suit. The father rushed his daughter to a hospital where she was admitted to the intensive care unit, the suit said.”

December 2019

$20,000 on allergy meds: Families ask for help with ‘astronomical’ costs – “Ashley Wong has spent almost every day of her 18 years battling severe allergies, and it’s come at a cost – with her family forced to pay $20,000 for medications alone over the past five years. ‘That’s not including all the special creams she has to use and special foods – there’s a particular cereal she can eat which we buy from a health food store, and the soy or nut milks, it all adds up,’ mum Karen Wong told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.”

Allergy pens are recalled from pharmacies after girl, 18, died ‘from allergic reaction to hazelnuts and device failed to save her – Medicine regulator MHRA have recalled all batches of Emerade autoinjecto – Alert suggests there is likelihood of the pens failing when exposed to heat – Shante Turay-Thomas said ‘I’m going to die’ moments before she collapsed – Her allergy pen failed and then her ambulance went six miles in wrong direction – “A well-known brand of allergy pen has had all of its batches recalled from across the UK after the family of a girl who died from a severe reaction said the product had failed. Shante Turay-Thomas, 18, cried ‘I’m going to die’, moments before she fell unconscious on and later died in hospital in September last year. In a phone call to 111, her mother Emma Turay described how Shante said she had eaten hazelnut. Her death was the subject of an inquest hearing last month, which resumes this week.The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have since confirmed that all batches of Emerade autoinjector have been recalled from pharmacies. They revealed that an problem with some pens had been discovered in which the needle is not released, and the injection not delivered.”

Mystery as boy, 9, dies at school after eating fish & chips – ” TRAGIC: A school pupil has died at his school after suffering an allergy from fish & chips The primary school pupil slumped to the floor after tucking into the famous Brit meal which his school allegedly served him at lunch, it has been claimed. Paramedics were called to Al-Hijrah School in Small Heath, Birmingham, on Friday and the pupil was declared dead at the scene.”

Seneca East community mourns loss of 12-year-old boy – Classmates have organized a fundraiser in support of the boy’s family – “The Seneca East Local Schools community is mourning the loss of a 12-year-old boy who passed away from a severe allergic reaction. Wyatt Michael Polachek was a 7th grade student at Seneca East Middle School where he was on the Principal’s List for good grades and was active on the basketball, football and baseball teams. He also was a recipient of The Super Six Citizenship Award.”

Ohio college student, 20, is found dead with an EpiPen in his hand after suffering suspected allergic reaction to MILK – Logan Lewis, from Heath, Ohio, was diagnosed as an infant with a milk allergy – He was with friends on Thursday night when he said he didn’t feel well and went to his dorm room – Lewis’s dorm-mate found him collapsed on the floor with an EpiPen in his hand – His family believes he went into anaphylactic shock, which is when the immune system overreacts to an allergen and the airways close, and passed away – Lewis, 20, was a second-year student in the medical cannabis laboratory sciences program at Hocking College

November 2019

Woman, 28, says she almost died after nurses TWICE gave her food she was allergic to while she was being treated in hospital for a severe reaction – Leah Watt, said she was ‘thought she was going to die’ after lips began to swell – Had the terrifying reaction while being treated at Queen’s Hospital in Romford- Said that she informed staff of her allergies but they didn’t follow instructions

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson’s terrifying brush with death and why she’s not a fan of Easter eggs – “Back in 2013 the Lib Dem leader, who has a peanut allergy, almost died when she had a reaction to eating a biscuit. She accidentally ate the snack, unaware it contained nuts, at a charity sale and went into anaphylactic shock. As she struggled from breath, doctors gave her adrenaline and she had to be treated in hospital.”

Teen died of ‘anaphylactic shock after anti-allergy device failed to work’ – EXCLUSIVE An inquest into the death of 18-year-old Shante Turay-Thomas is due to take place next week – “A teenage girl died of suspected anaphylactic shock after her anti-allergy device allegedly failed to work. – Shante Turay-Thomas, 18, may not have known about a fault that was reportedly found in a small number of the Emerade injecting devices three months earlier. Her grieving mum Emma also claims she had to wait an hour for an ambulance after a mix up. An inquest starts on Monday into nut allergy victim Shante, who died last September as she was about to start a law degree at Sussex University, in Brighton.”

Benadryl shouldn’t be available over the counter due to potential side effects, allergists say – Health Canada says it is reviewing concerns about the popular antihistamine introduced in 1940s

CSACI position statement: Newer generation H1-antihistamines are safer than first-generation H1-antihistamines and should be the first-line antihistamines for the treatment of allergic rhinitis and urticaria – “In a review of 484 fatalities in Ontario, drivers who were killed in car accidents and found to be at fault were 1.5 times more likely to have been under the influence of first-generation AHs [20]. The European Union has labelled diphenhydramine a Category III drug indicating that it is likely to produce severe effects on fitness to drive [21]. This carries their highest warning level and the recommendation: ‘Do not drive. Seek medical advice before driving again.’ [21]. In a recent review of toxicology testing profiles from 6677 fatally injured civil aviation pilots in the United States from 1990 to 2012, diphenhydramine was the drug most commonly found on autopsy that was capable of causing impairment (7.3%) [22]. Due to the increased risk, first-generation AHs are banned for use by commercial and military airline pilots before or during flights [2, 5]. … To encourage the cessation of the routine use of older AHs including diphenhydramine ( Benadryl ©), this class of medications should have eventual consideration for availability on a behind the counter basis only.”

‘Alarming’ rise in the number of children hospitalised with severe allergic reactions – “Number of cases of children hospitalised with severe allergic reactions in England has gone up by 72 per cent over the last six years, figures show. The NHS Digital data, obtained by Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, show 1746 cases of hospital admissions with anaphylactic shock among children aged 18 and below in 2018-19, compared with 1015 admissions in 2013-14. Overall, including adults, an increase of 34 per cent recorded during the same period. The health region with the highest number of children admitted to hospital with anaphylaxis is London, where the number of cases has risen from 180 in 2013-14 to 480 in 2018-19, an increase of 166.7 per cent. The increase is 200 per cent among the children aged 10 and below.”

October 2019

Mom says son with peanut allergy nearly died after eating popsicle – “Katie Bryant told Channel 9 she believes the popsicle that made her son sick somehow came into contact with peanuts during production.”

Ocean City Father Dies of Shellfish Allergy Reaction – “Chris Trimper, a member of an historic family in the amusement rides business, has died of a severe allergic reaction. Trimper, 42, of Trimper’s Rides and Amusement in Ocean City, Maryland, died of anaphylaxis related to a shellfish allergy on Oct. 24. The father of three young children was at a pub dinner following a charity golf tournament when he suffered the reaction.”

Texas Family Sues Childcare for Expelling Food Allergic Sons – “A couple in Decatur, Texas are suing a childcare center – citing discrimination against their two sons directly related to their severe food allergies.”

Judge jails takeaway boss for ‘playing Russian roulette with people’s lives’ after he told nut allergy sufferer her beef korma was safe before she had anaphylactic shock and nearly died – Mohammed Hadi ‘blatantly’ lied to customers, judge said as he jailed him – Woman who alerted staff to her allergy was left needing hospital treatment – Hadi was jailed for six months, but co-accused Mohammed Arif spared prison – Arif received a suspended sentence for failing to comply with safety rules

Mum’s terror as girl, 3, goes limp and turns blue after MMR jab – Newbury mum Vikki Simpson now wants to warn other parents – “A mum-of-two has spoken of the terrifying moment her little girl went limp in her arms and turned blue after having a one-in-a-million allergic reaction to an MMR jab. Newbury mum Vikki Simpson, 35, had taken daughter Leah, three, to Woolton Hill Surgery for her MMR booster, and had been pleasantly surprised that the tot didn’t cry when she was given the injection. But just 15 minutes later, while Ms Simpson was chatting to the receptionist, Leah stopped breathing properly as she went into ananphylactic shock – an extreme and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.”

September 2019

British teen allergic to dairy died after burger joint said his birthday meal was safe – “Parents are terrified for them to eat out in restaurants because that is the key place where they are at risk,” said the teen’s mother about families of children with food allergies. – “Owen Carey died after celebrating his 18th birthday with a meal at a Byron Burger, a chain restaurant in London, in 2017. Investigators at the Southwark Coroner’s Court looking into Owen’s sudden death found the teen had told wait staff about his allergy. He died after eating chicken marinated in buttermilk. Owen ‘died from a severe food-induced anaphylactic reaction from food eaten and ordered at a restaurant despite making staff aware of his allergies,’ Assistant coroner Briony Ballard ruled.”

Teenage boy hospitalised after severe allergic reaction to food from Slough [UK] takeaway – Two members of staff from Saqi Grill and Catering Ltd were prosecuted after an incident involving a teenage boy – “The boy and his family went into Saqi Grill and Catering Ltd in Chalvey Road East and ordered Peri Peri chicken and chips. They told staff the boy has a severe allergy to dairy and eggs, but Reading Crown Court heard the family were assured there were no allergens in the meal. However the boy went into anaphylactic shock after eating the food, and had to be taken to hospital.”

July 2019

Mum pulls son out of school because ‘they didn’t take deadly allergies seriously’ – EXCLUSIVE: Jenna Laing-Phillips has called for the law to be changed, saying she feared her son could die each time he went to school

Possible EpiPen shortage has allergy patients, professionals worried – “Despite reassurances from Health Canada, the recent announcement of a potential EpiPen shortage by pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer, has allergists and allergy sufferers concerned. Last Tuesday, Pfizer Canada announced the possible shortage of the 0.3 mg format EpiPen auto-injector, however Health Canada said it expects to have adequate supply. A Pfizer spokesperson said the situation isn’t only affecting Canada as it is a global issue, however, EpiPen is the only available epinephrine auto-injector in Canada which makes the situation more serious.”

Final photo of dairy allergy schoolboy: Heartbroken mother releases image of 13-year-old dying in hospital after pupil threw cheese down his collar as she tells of ‘living in a black hole’ since death – Karanbir Cheema died in July 2017 after cheese incident at West London school – The 13-year-old’s mother, Rina Cheema, made a decision to turn off life support – She has now described the pain of his death, saying it will haunt her forever

UK – Regulatory warning for faulty Bausch & Lomb adrenaline auto-injector

Canberra anaphylaxis cases double in just three years – “The spike in severe allergic reactions isn’t just limited to Canberra hospitals, with the number of food-induced anaphylaxis cases doubling nationally in the past 10 years, according to Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia.”

Boy, 11, with dairy allergy died after his father gave him a ‘free-from’ chocolate bar at Morrisons – but it was gluten free and did contain milk powder, inquest hears – Raffi Pownall, 11, became sick after eating four chunks of Morrisons chocolat – His father Thomas Pownall had believed he had given his son a dairy-free bar – After Raffi became sick Mr Pownall realised the bar was in fact gluten free

‘Sexiest doctor alive’ saves life of a passenger on a flight from New York to Israel: Man, 26, went into shock after the in-flight meal weeks after a tick bite left him allergic to meat – Matt Faraco, 26, from Atlanta, Georgia, was on board a Delta flight on June 30 from New York City to Tel Aviv – About two hours in, he went into anaphylactic shock, which is when the immune system overreacts to an allergen – Dr Mikhail Varshavski – known as Doctor Mike – used epinephrine, a hormone, to – relax Faraco’s airway muscles so he could breathe again – The two reunited in Jerusalem a few days later, by which time Faraco recovered – Physicians in Israel believe a tick bite left Faraco with an allergy to meat, which he ate the night before his trip – Dr Varshavski said he had to dose the epinephrine himself because there was no EpiPen on board and wants all airlines to have one in their first aid kits

Bismarck Teenager Saves Lives in His Death – The Family’s Story of Perseverance – “Just two short weeks ago, a Bismarck family’s worst nightmare became reality, when they lost their 16-year-old son to a severe asthma attack.”

Takeaway bosses face jail after woman had near fatal reaction to beef korma – “The managers of an Indian takeaway could face a jail sentence after a customer went into life-threatening anaphylactic shock after eating a beef korma. The woman had to be taken to hospital after eating the dish, even though she had alerted staff to her allergy.”

Tests confirm ice-cream did kill girl in Mallorca – “Lab tests have confirmed that a four-year-old girl who died in May at La Salle School in Palma was killed by an allergic reaction to the ice cream she had for dessert. An analysis of blood samples revealed that she suffered anaphylactic shock due to eating cow’s milk proteins.”

June 2019

Brush with death: UCP MLA pushes for mandatory EpiPens in schools – “Her two-year-old daughter limp and blue in her arms, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk sat in the back of an ambulance tearing the wrong way down Whyte Avenue towards the Stollery Children’s Hospital. A previously unknown peanut allergy had sent the toddler into anaphylactic shock in her hometown of Vegreville. Repeated jabs of epinephrine weren’t working. She couldn’t breathe. It was too late for a tracheotomy. ‘I made a promise that day to God that if He let my daughter survive, I would do anything to help somebody with allergies. No parent should have to go through that,’ a visibly emotional Armstrong-Homeniuk told a legislative committee Tuesday morning. Armstrong-Homeniuk’s daughter, Jacklyn Homeniuk, survived the ordeal. Now the MLA for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville is making good on her silent promise.”

Sarah Ferguson shares touching act for couple whose daughter died of an allergy – and how she helped change the law – Sarah, Duchess of York wasn’t even born when her uncle, John Ferguson, died at age 10 in 1939 from an allergic reaction after he ate a crab sandwich, but her relative’s death affected her deeply, and it’s part of why she was recently spurred into action on behalf of allergy sufferers. ‘My father was never the same after that and my grandmother never forgot John,’ the duchess said on ITV News’ This Morning on Tuesday (June 25).”

Charity launched in memory of allergy death teenager – “Natasha, from Fulham, west London, died of anaphylaxis after unknowingly eating sesame contained in an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette she had bought from Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport. The 15-year-old died after collapsing on board a flight to Nice on July 17 2016.”

After Terrifying Flight, Student Pushes for Planes to Carry Auto-Injectors – “A Chicago-area college student has mounted a one-woman campaign to equip airliners with potentially life-saving drugs, after an episode where she says she became ill after ingesting a nut on a flight from Boston to Chicago.”

Moses Mbye undergoes urgent medical attention after suffering allergic reaction – “Barely 24 hours after a severe allergic reaction left him close to death, Queensland’s Moses Mybe has been remarkably cleared to play tomorrow’s State of Origin II in Perth. It has been revealed that Maroons team doctor Matt Hislop rushed to Mbye’s aid after receiving a phone call for help yesterday morning, only to find the utility slumped outside his Perth hotel room.”

EpiPens are not used enough in severe allergic reactions, study shows – Results clearly show that epinephrine in a pre-hospital setting is superior to antihistamines, lead author Dr. Moshe Ben-Shoshan says. – “Children treated with the epinephrine auto-injector, or EpiPen, for sudden and life-threatening allergic reactions before getting to hospital do better than children treated with antihistamines alone and significantly better than children treated with steroids, according to a new study by Canadian researchers involving nearly 3,500 patients in five provinces.”

Ariana Grande Cancels Concerts Due To Tomato Allergy – “The 25-year old pop superstar announced her health condition and schedule changes on Instagram. ‘I had an unfortunate allergic reaction to tomatoes and my throat pretty much closed. still feels like I’m swallowing a cactus but slowly making progress,’ she said.”

May 2019

Boy collapses and dies after suffering allergic reaction to pollen while celebrating end of GCSEs in park – Parents speak out over ‘heart-wrenching’ loss to raise awareness of asthma threat

Profiles of 2 Napa families who choose not to vaccinate their children – “Megan, who was vaccinated as a child, said she began to question vaccinations after her son had a bad reaction after one immunization. Megan recalled another family member who had ‘weird food allergies that developed after she started vaccinations.’ … ‘I feel like parents are doing more research about what car seat they are putting their kids than what they are injecting into their kids’ bodies,’ said Megan.”

McDonald’s bun blunder ‘could have put son in hospital’ says shocked dad – The father and son were offered a voucher worth just £10 as compensation – months after an identical error almost ended in tragedy

Mum’s devastation as daughter, 9, dies after eating ham sandwich on family picnic – Sadie Bristow who had several allergies died after going into anaphylactic shock on a day out with her parents, sisters and other relatives – “A mum has spoken of her devastation after her nine-year-old daughter died after eating a ham sandwich on a family picnic. Aspiring tennis star Sadie Bristow was on a day out at Whitstable Castle in Kent when tragedy struck on August 19 last year. Her parents rushed her to a medical centre in Whitstable and she was taken to the the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Margate in a critical condition before being airlifted to St George’s Hospital in London. The youngster – who had gone into anaphylactic shock caused by an allergy to dairy products – however, died the following day.”

Pediatric allergist traces ‘mystery’ reactions to pea protein — an increasingly popular ingredient – Pea protein is often used in vegan cheeses and yogurt, and as an alternative to meat protein

Family looks for answers to high schooler’s mystery life-threatening illness – Claire Celski requires round-the-clock observation, but nobody knows what’s causing it. – “A year ago, Claire Celski was a sophomore at Hill Murray Catholic School in Maplewood when, without warning, she went into anaphylactic shock. Since then the attacks have occurred with a regularity, and bear a lot of the hallmarks of a serious reaction to a food allergy, except that this has been ruled out as the cause. The symptoms of shock begin, leading the 17-year-old to stop breathing, pass out and her blood pressure to drop dangerously low. On her CaringBridge page, her family says that Epi pens initially helped, but have become less and less effective. Each episode requires an ambulance ride to the ER. She has been to countless doctors and specialists, even Rochester Mayo Clinic, with no concrete diagnosis or treatment plan. Her condition has been referred to as ‘Idiopathic Anaphylaxis’ – which roughly translates to anaphylaxis without cause.”

Teen said he meant no harm throwing cheese that led to death of classmate – A teenage student who threw cheese at his classmate who had a severe dairy allergy and later died, did not mean to hurt him, an inquest has heard. Karanbir Cheema, 13, died after suffering a reaction to the dairy product, which landed on his neck during a school break in west London on June 28, 2017. The William Perkin Church of England High School student was rushed to hospital in a life-threatening condition and died 11 days later.”

20 years gone: The legacy of Joe Chithalen – “Joe was on tour with The Mahones in Amsterdam when some street food he’d purchased triggered his peanut allergy. He died that night, May 1, 1999, at age 31.”

April 2019

Why Big Pharma distrust is fueling the anti-vaxxer movement and playing a role in the measles outbreak – “[Bernadette] Pajer said she didn’t know anything about vaccine risks until her son, now 16, developed severe allergic reactions called anaphylaxis to the food ingredients in vaccines as a child. Despite her son’s reaction, his then-pediatrician didn’t want to stop vaccinating and suggested Pajer’s son have the rest of his shots ‘in the hospital in case he goes into shock,’ she said. Pajer declined, and her son now has a lifetime medical exemption from vaccines.”

Woman hospitalised after eating ‘misleading’ Easter egg from Aldi – “A Melbourne woman was hospitalised in intensive care after eating an Easter egg she says was labelled with “misleading” packaging, 7NEWS.com.au reports. Kaley, surname not given, took a single bite of the ear of an Aldi Easter bunny labelled ‘Dairy Fine’ which both she and her mother misread as ‘Dairy Free’. The young nursing student, who is highly allergic to dairy and nuts, told 7 she immediately went into anaphylactic shock.”

Mom Sues Summer Camp after Food-Allergic Son Denied Enrollment

Family mourns girl, 11, who died from allergic reaction to toothpaste: She ‘wanted to change the world’ – Altamirano and Saldate had never spotted milk as a toothpaste ingredient, so they allowed her to use MI Paste One, a medicated toothpaste prescribed by her dentist. ‘Denise had white spots on her teeth and the toothpaste was supposed to strengthen her enamel,’ Altamirano tells Yahoo Lifestyle. ‘She was so excited to use her ‘special’ toothpaste.’ The family did not see the warnings printed on the front-and-back of the tube that the toothpaste contains Recaldent, a milk-derived protein.”

Two unaccompanied minors kicked off connecting international flight for food allergies

Dozens of Victorians rushed to hospital with anaphylaxis each week as food allergies rise – “1028 Victorians have gone to emergency rooms with anaphylaxis since November 1, 2018 – That’s an average of 50 anaphylaxis notifications each week. – More than 60 per cent were food related. – It is the first time the state’s Health Department has collated this data. Experts say Australia is the ‘food allergy capital of the world’.”

Jonnie Meek: New inquest into Stafford hospital death – A new inquest has been ordered into the death of a three-year-old boy after suggestions he was killed by an allergic reaction to hospital milk.

March 2019

Family remembers local 17-year-old who died from an allergic reaction to nuts – “A Roanoke family is grieving the tragic loss of a 17-year-old tonight. The William Byrd Senior died suddenly three weeks ago after an allergic reaction. … He didn’t know the brownies had ground walnuts in them. Just a few minutes later, he experienced an allergic reaction that killed him.”

Boy, 3, suffers near-fatal reaction after eating mum’s hidden chocolate – “His allergy is so severe that even touching dairy products can cause the little boy’s skin to break out in boils and hives, so the family are usually incredibly strict with the food they allow in the house. … However, after seven shots of adrenaline Omar’s condition wasn’t improving and he was rushed to hospital, where he was placed in a medically induced coma as doctors rushed to save him. … The Vaughan’s recently welcomed a fourth child, a baby boy, who has since shown signs of the same deadly allergy.”

VAPE WARNING Mum rushed to hospital with painful rashes all over body after severe allergic reaction to vaping for first time – Lisa Santiago-Griggs, 42, said her body felt like it was on fire from inside out

February 2019

Nine-year-old girl dies after eating ice cream on holiday from ‘severe allergic reaction’ – Spanish hotel company offers ‘heartfelt condolences’ to family – “A nine-year-old British girl has died after eating ice cream while on holiday in Spain. The girl, who has not been named publicly, had eaten ice cream at a local shopping centre, according to Club La Costa World, which runs the hotel in Malaga where she had been staying. She was allergic to milk and nuts and fell ill on Saturday, the Spanish newspaper Sur reported. She was taken to the Costa del Sol Hospital and later transferred to the Materno Infantil Hospital in Malaga. She died on Monday.”

Four year-old with allergies hospitalised after Eurowings cabin crew refused to stop selling nuts on board – The family were left shocked that after being told by Eurowings that nuts would not be sold on the Manchester-Dussledorf flight … After take-off, however, the head of the cabin crew refused to stop selling nuts or alert passengers, telling the parents that they should instead “cover his face [or] mouth with something”. … When Corina went to remind the crew, she explained their previous correspondence with ground staff, and how airborne allergens posed a fatal risk to her son. But she was told the crew would not alert passengers to the boy’s allergies or suspend the sale of nuts during the flight. The head of the cabin crew told Corina it was “not their policy to make an announcement or stop selling nuts,” and that “we should instead separate my son from everyone and cover his mouth/face with something”. Corina says: “It was too late for an announcement as nuts had already served and eaten.” As they left the aircraft, her son had developed itchy hives on his skin, which rapidly worsened over the next 10-15 minutes until he was coughing and his eyes were swelling. The airport called an ambulance and the boy was taken to Florence-Nightingale Krankenhaus hospital for a severe allergic reaction, where he was given steroid treatment.”

January 2019

The headline on the article below was changed- Updated: 20:21 EST, 27 January 2019 to “Whooping cough vaccine may be the key to protecting children from food allergies”

Fears whooping cough vaccine gives children food allergies sparks major $4million trial involving 3,000 babies – Researchers believe a whooping cough vaccine could be linked to food allergies – A $4 million clinical trial that will test the theory of 3,000 Australian babies – The project will involve babies from Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide – “Lead researcher Associate Professor Tom Snelling, from Curtin University and Telethon Kids Institute, told the Herald Sun when infants received the old vaccine, very few had immune responses in their blood that was typical for someone who would later develop allergies. He said they believe one dose of the old vaccine could be enough to train the immune system away from allergies.”

They can’t see the forest for the trees. See the Science section for more details on which vaccines/combinations/ingredients can be implicated in causing the epidemic of food anaphylaxis

Teenager, 17, with a deadly allergy to LIFE survives thanks to her trusty Goldendoodle Makki who she trained to warn her before any deadly reactions can strike – McKenze Messman, from Lincoln, Nebraska, has Mast Cell Activation syndrome – Teenager can have a reaction to everything from the sun to perfumes and food – She trained dog Makki to warn her up to 20 minutes before anaphylactic shock – McKenze said: ‘She is my lifesaver, if I need her to, she can also fetch my EpiPen’

Bethenny Frankel’s Plane Forced to Turn Around as Fish Was Being Served and She’s Deathly Allergic – Weeks after suffering a near-fatal allergic reaction to fish, Bethenny Frankel came close to another potential deadly encounter. The Real Housewives of New York City star revealed that she was flying on Thursday when she boarded the aircraft and realized the crew was serving fish despite her calling ahead to check she would be safe.”

‘Daddy, I love you’: Tragic final words of New Jersey boy, 11, who died from ‘an allergic reaction to the smell of fish being cooked by his gran’ – “Little Camron Jean-Pierre gave dad Steven two kisses after falling ill at his family’s home in New York on New Year’s Day – His gran had been preparing a cod dinner when Camron walked into the house – Steven said he desperately tried to save his son before he was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center ‘unable to breathe’ – Camron was known to have an allergy to fish and used a nebulizer for his asthma 0 But his family said his reactions had not been ‘that severe’ in the past – Steven called Camron his ‘prince’ and said he was his ‘everything'”

Mum’s warning after iconic Aussie dish leaves son in critical condition – “The family knew Nate was allergic to all egg products – they didn’t know he was also allergic to shellfish. They both knew straight away that it was likely a result of the prawns.”

December 2018

Woman Develops Donor’s Peanut Allergy After Lung Transplant – “The 68-year-old woman, who had never had a peanut allergy, had a severe allergic reaction to the sandwich, according to a recent report of her case, which was published in August in the journal Transplantation Proceedings. But someone else did have a peanut allergy, it turned out: the donor who supplied the woman with a transplant lung.”

‘Real Housewives’ star Bethenny Frankel says she nearly died from allergic reaction to fish – “‘I have rare fish allergy,’ Frankel began. ‘Sun,I had soup,itched & was unconscious for 15 mins then to ER & ICU for 2 days w BP of 60/40.I couldn’t talk,see, thought I had a stroke & dying & told if 5 mins later I’d be dead.’ The actress added that “911 & EPI saved me” and went on to promise, ‘I’ll never not carry an #epipen.'”

Toronto Woman Hospitalized After Eating Dairy at Popular Vegan Restaurant – A kitchen manager at Vegandale, Toronto’s most loved and loathed vegan chain, admits their handling of the situation was “unacceptable.” – “Within seconds of taking one bite of a vegan pulled pork taco at Vegandale Brewery, Vittoria Rabito knew something was not right. Within a minute, her heart rate increased and her lips began to tingle. Within five minutes, she was having trouble breathing and went to the bathroom to administer her EpiPen. Within 10 minutes, she was taken in an ambulance and rushed to the hospital.  Since she was born, Rabito has had a severe allergy to dairy. This occurrence at Vegandale Brewery—which claims to be Toronto’s only vegan brewery and restaurant and boasts the slogan ‘morality on tap’—was the most severe reaction she has ever had and was only the second time she has ever had to use her EpiPen.”

November 2018

Mother-of-two says she was left seconds from death when she bit into a British Airways wrap that she didn’t know contained sesame seeds – British Airways is in an allergy storm as mother is seconds from death on flight – Mother stops breathing after eating two bites of British Airways chicken wrap – Sonia Bagga, 39, from Wokingham, Berkshire, is taking legal action since the wrap labelling did not list the ingredients

Grieving mum sounds warning after daughter’s allergy death – “Aged just 16, Edyn Rubena-Misilisi had suffered an allergic – and ultimately fatal – reaction to nuts while the family were visiting friends near their house in Manurewa. It was not obvious the dish she was eating contained nuts and the teenager realised only when she started to react. Not wanting to make a fuss, Edyn slipped out and headed home, down the street, where she injected herself with her Epipen, a device that administers adrenaline to combat severe allergic reactions. Realising her reaction was more severe than initially thought, she dialled 111 for an ambulance. … A St John medic performed CPR several times before Edyn was rushed to hospital where she was put in an induced coma for five days. On Saturday, doctors tried to take her out of the coma to see if she would breathe on her own, but it was too late.”

Flu Shot Kills Young Doctor – “The flu shot killed at least one young doctor, who died in Florida the day after she took the ill-fated vaccine. A day after submitting to the deadly jab, Dr. Marlie Eddia Dulaurier, 35, suffered anaphylaxis with vocal cord paralysis, Guillain Barré Syndrome (“GBS”) and/or Transverse Myelitis (“TM”), gastroparesis, and death. That, at least, is what the federal government said, before the secretive US Vaccine Court awarded her family $500,000 for “compensation” in 2017.”

Ohio Family Channels Grief into Food Allergy Advocacy to Honor Daughter – “The Suhy family of Independence, Ohio, last November experienced the unimaginable tragedy of losing their daughter to an anaphylactic reaction. Allison Rose Suhy, 18, was a college freshman when she died after eating a donut that turned out to contain peanut, to which she was allergic. Now the family is launching a foundation in her name and her honor. … ‘The way I understand it, she was given epinephrine,’ said [Michael] Suhy, a fire chief in a village north of Independence. ‘I know that the paramedics on scene also gave her epinephrine,’ he said.”

Soy formula feeding during infancy associated with severe menstrual pain in adulthood – “New research suggests that infant girls fed soy formula are more likely to develop severe menstrual pain as young adults. The finding adds to the growing body of literature that suggests exposure to soy formula during early life may have detrimental effects on the reproductive system. The study appears online in the journal Human Reproduction.”

UK food safety agency welcomes conviction in girl’s food allergy death – “The FSA issued a statement describing the convictions as a clear message to food businesses of the consequences of not providing accurate allergen information. Detective chief inspector Mark Vaughton, of Lancashire Police, said Megan’s death was the consequence of the conduct of the two men.”

Megan Lee: Takeaway bosses jailed over allergy death – “Megan Lee, 15, suffered irreversible brain damage after having an allergic reaction to food from Royal Spice in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, in 2016. Mohammed Abdul Kuddus and Harun Rashid were found guilty in October. At Manchester Crown Court earlier, Kuddus was jailed for two years and Rashid for three. In sentencing, Mrs Justice Yip told them Megan was responsible enough to highlight her allergies when placing the order but ‘sadly the same responsibility was not at your end’. Judge Yip said the takeaway had no systems or processes to manage allergen control. She said she hoped ‘the message is heard’ that food suppliers who fail to take proper care ‘will face significant custodial sentences if a death results’. After the verdicts in October, Megan’s father Adam warned takeaway owners ‘do not play Russian roulette with precious lives’.”

October 2018

School tells pupils not to eat nuts at breakfast to prevent allergic reactions – A primary school has asked parents not to feed their children nuts for breakfast because one of their pupils has such a severe nut allergy.

Experts’ Viewpoint on: Epinephrine Auto-Injector Needle Length and Dosing Debate – “As board-certified allergists who are expert in the treatment of anaphylaxis, we wish to express serious concerns with the conclusions offered in the U.K. Coroner’s inquest into the tragic death of 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died following a severe allergic reaction on an airplane. We thank the inquest for raising the importance of improving the labeling of foods for allergens. However, we cannot support Coroner Dr. Sean Cummings’ conclusion that the length of needle in the EpiPen epinephrine auto-injector is “inherently unsafe,” nor that the dose of epinephrine is “inadequate” for anaphylaxis and that these factors raise safety concerns.”

Megan Lee: Pair guilty of girl’s takeaway allergy death – “Two men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of a 15-year-old girl who suffered an allergic reaction to a takeaway meal. Megan Lee died after eating food containing peanuts from the Royal Spice takeaway in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire.”

Ontario mother petitions school board to lift ban on peanuts – “An Ontario mother is petitioning her child’s school to reverse its ban on peanuts, arguing that it limits what she can pack her daughter for lunch.”

School tells pupils not to eat nuts at breakfast to prevent allergic reactions – “A primary school has asked parents not to feed their children nuts for breakfast because one of their pupils has such a severe nut allergy. Sacred Heart Primary School in Tipton, West Midlands, has become ‘nut free’ as a result. Other schools across the UK are nut free, however only a handful requested that children don’t eat nuts at home before school.”

September 2018

EpiPen and EpiPen Jr auto-injectors may stick in their carrier tube – “Pfizer Canada has advised Health Canada that, in a very small number of cases, some EpiPen (0.3 mg) and EpiPen Jr (0.15 mg) auto-injector devices may not slide out of their carrier tube easily, or at all. This could delay or prevent emergency treatment, possibly leading to patient disability or death. According to the company, the device label has been improperly applied to a very small number of devices in a way that the device label may become stuck to the inside of the carrier tube. This could mean that the device does not slide out of the tube as easily as expected. The issue is with the device label, and not with the device itself or the drug that it delivers (epinephrine).”

After Tragedy, Brother and Mother are on a Mission for Food Allergy Education – “Joanna Salmingo was a big fan of Japanese culture. “She took Japanese lessons in school and always wanted to go to Japan,” recalls her older brother Joey Salmingo. On August 8, 30-year-old Joanna returned to the home she shared with her parents in Markham, Ontario, with Japanese mochi. She was excited to have found a new self-serve bar for the pastel-colored dessert balls in her local Whole Foods Market. The popular treats, which Whole Foods had first unveiled in 2017 across the U.S. with great success, are usually made with glutinous rice dough that’s filled with ice cream. What Joanna didn’t realize was that the mochi that Whole Foods was selling contained cashew milk as the main ingredient – and she was allergic to tree nuts, in addition to peanuts and shellfish. Swiftly, Joanna succumbed to first severe reaction of her life. Despite administering her epinephrine auto-injector, she soon lost consciousness as her mother, Diana Salmingo, who is a nurse, performed CPR compressions, while waiting for the ambulance. Joanna, who suffered brain damage, never regained consciousness and died in hospital on August 24.”

Teenager’s Fatal In-Flight Reaction Raises Food Allergy Labeling Loophole – “In a statement read by his lawyer, Nadim Ednan-Laperouse explained that his daughter Natasha suffered a severe allergic reaction on a British Airways flight on July 17, 2016 after eating an artichoke, olive and tapenade baguette. She purchased the baguette from Pret a Manger at Heathrow Airport before boarding. Despite receiving two doses of epinephrine, ‘Natasha desperately looked at me, she said: ‘Daddy, help me, I can’t breathe,’ Ednan-Laperouse said in his statement, according to the BBC. Natasha’s parents would later discover that the baguette dough contained an ingredient their daughter was allergic to – sesame. (She also had allergies to dairy, nuts and banana.)”

Chain Knew of 21 Reactions to Its Food in Year Before Teen’s Fatal In-Flight Reaction

Airline Crew Did Not Use Defibrillator on Teen Who Had In-Flight Anaphylaxis

Dairy-Allergic Student Had Cheese Thrown Down His Shirt, Inquest Hears – “A paramedic testifying at a coroner’s inquest into the death of a U.K. teenager who died of anaphylaxis in an alleged bullying incident said the emergency call from the school about an allergic reaction did not indicate the gravity of the situation. Kieran Oppatt, the first paramedic to arrive at the school seven minutes later, says he discovered 13-year-old Karanbir Cheema, known as Karan was gasping for air and appeared to be ‘in a state of pre-arrest.’ Oppatt told the inquest that school staff said: “perhaps someone had chased the patient with cheese and had proceeded to throw it down his shirt,” according to The Telegraph. When Allergic Living first reported on Karan’s death in 2017, it was unclear whether cheese had been rubbed on Karan, flicked into his face or whether he’d been forced to eat it. Friends said the student had also previously faced bullying at school. At the time of Karan’s fatal reaction on June 28, 2017, a 13-year-old classmate was arrested at the time on suspicion of attempted murder, but he has not been charged. ”

With life-threatening food allergies on the rise, drug companies ramp up new approaches – The prevalence of food allergies increased by 70 percent in U.S. kids younger than 18 between 1997 and 2016.

Woman’s deadly cannabis allergy highlights complexity of condo living – Board wrestles with residents’ competing human rights after marijuana ban shot down

Nine-year-old English tennis talent Sadie Bristow from Chartham dies after allergic reaction – “‘She was just playing outside when she came in and told us she wasn’t well,’ he said. ‘We decided she needed to go to hospital and took her ourselves to the Estuary View Medical Centre in Whitstable because it was quickest and from there she went to Margate Hospital and then St George’s. ‘Anaphylactic shock shuts down the airways very quickly and she did not respond to treatment despite being administered with 16 shots of adrenaline, which is the first course of action. ‘It is very rare and I think even the doctors were taken aback by the speed of it.'”

Life-saving epinephrine underused during anaphylaxis outside of hospital, study finds – Fewer than half of adults and children experiencing food-induced anaphylaxis use their epinephrine autoinjector before being treated

August 2018

Mom hesitates in using son’s EpiPen on herself amid shortage – “Pfizer, the only company that makes EpiPens, announced a shortage on July 30 due to a manufacturing issue. Canada has experienced a low supply of EpiPens since at least January, but Health Canada warned that pharmacies could totally run out sometime in August as they await shipments. So when Michelle Nel from Prescott, Ont., was stung by a hornet four times while gardening last week, she hesitated. She immediately felt dizzy, but she didn’t want to use her son’s EpiPen.”

Will my EpiPen work past its expiry date? – “‘We found that the vast majority of expired EpiPens had at least what might be considered a therapeutic dose for up to four years after the expiration date,’ says Lee Cantrell, director of the San Diego division of the California Poison Control System.”

Perth girl, 6, dies from severe allergic reaction after eating a dairy product – “Ms Said said she understood the child had been on a waiting list to see an allergy specialist. ‘My understanding is that the child had been prescribed an EpiPen, so people knew the child was allergic,’ she said. ‘We don’t know whether the reaction happened at school or at home.'”

July 2018

Pharmacies will likely run out of EpiPens in ‘coming days or weeks’: Health Canada – “Canada has been experiencing an EpiPen shortage since at least January, which Pfizer has blamed on a manufacturing issue. There are no other epinephrine auto-injectors available in Canada.”

3 years after Elmhurst teen’s death following sleepover, Rauner signs law to equip first responders with EpiPens – “Three years after a 13-year-old Elmhurst girl died following a severe allergic reaction during a slumber party with friends, Gov. Bruce Rauner joined her family Tuesday to sign an amendment to a law aimed at preventing such tragedies.

“There’s nothing I can do to change what has happened, but my goal is to change what happens in the future,” said Shelly LeGere, the girl’s mother, who made it her mission since her daughter Annie’s death in August 2015 to lobby for legislation that would allow first responders in Illinois to carry epinephrine auto-injectors used to treat anaphylactic shock. … Annie LeGere was at a slumber party celebrating the end of summer when she called her mother complaining that she was having trouble breathing and wanted to come home. Although the girl had only grown up with mild traces of seasonal allergies that prompted her to use an inhaler for congestion, her mother grabbed a bottle of Benadryl and drove across the western suburb to pick up her daughter. When she arrived minutes later, Annie was barely breathing on her friend’s kitchen floor. A police officer also had arrived but was not able to treat the girl. Annie died nine days later at Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge from brain injuries that occurred as a result of anaphylactic shock after an unknown allergic reaction, likely to something she ate, according to her doctors.”

Boy, 10, died after suffering allergic reaction to McDonald’s chicken wrap he got as treat – He ate a Peri Peri chicken wrap from the fast-food restaurant’s Ilac Centre outlet in Dublin – “A 10-year-old boy died from a fatal allergic reaction to a McDonald’s chicken wrap, his inquest has heard. Dublin Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane warned parents of children with food allergies to check ingredients at the inquest into the death of Maleek Lawal, a student at St Audeon’s National School in Dublin. He suffered a severe reaction to the take-away meal from the fast food chain.”

Kellie Travers-Stafford is with Michael Stafford. [Facebook] – “Our hearts are broken and we are still in shock. Our whole lives we dedicated to keeping our child safe from one ingredient, peanuts. On Monday June 25, our 15 year old daughter, Alexi Ryann Stafford, while at a friends house, made a fatal choice. There was an open package of Chips Ahoy cookies, the top flap of the package was pulled back and the packaging was too similar to what we had previously deemed “safe” to her. She ate one cookie of chewy Chips Ahoy thinking it was safe because of the “red” packaging, only to find out too late that there was an added ingredient…. Reese peanut butter cups/chips. She started feeling tingling in her mouth and came straight home. Her condition rapidly deteriorated. She went into Anaphylactic shock, stopped breathing and went unconscious. We administered 2 epi pens while she was conscious and waited on paramedics for what felt like an eternity. She died within 1& 1/2 hour of eating the cookie.”

15-year old girl is killed by peanut allergy—internet says she got what she deserved – “Within 48 hours the story had been shared 55,000 times across Facebook with over 14,000 comments on the original post, not all of them sympathetic. People seem to think that stupidity linked with the peanut allergy is to blame for this child’s death, and many feel that weak genetics are being weeded out with such senseless tragedy.”

Warning as Meath boy, 8, suffers life-threatening allergic reaction after well-intentioned neighbour gives him chocolate – His parents are hoping to highlight the dangers of food allergies after their son needed hospital treatment from the gift

Mom takes aim at pharmacy over daughter’s close call with nut allergy – London Drugs says staff acted quickly to help, but will review training on anaphylaxis emergencies

Southwest Airlines will stop serving peanuts this summer, citing allergy worries – Southwest Airlines will stop serving peanuts starting Aug. 1. – The decision comes after Southwest and other airlines have grappled with passenger allergies. – “Our ultimate goal is to create an environment where all customers—including those with peanut-related allergies—feel safe and welcome on every Southwest flight.”

College Student ‘Who Lit Up a Room,’ Dies of Severe Allergic Reaction to Chinese Food – “Max had eaten Chinese food throughout his childhood, but never at this particular Lancaster restaurant. His sister says he ordered Beef Lo Mein, an egg roll and a Diet Coke for dinner. After the meal, Max felt that he was coming down with an illness, so he and his girlfriend drove back to his parents’ house, about 15 minutes away. ‘He’d had a dry cough for two days, and thought he was just getting sick,” said his sister. Once home, “he took a shower, and at some point he threw up.’ McGlinchey says that after the shower, ‘he was having a hard time breathing, and determined that he needed to be taken to the hospital. At that point, I believe he gave himself an EpiPen, about 30 to 40 minutes after they left the restaurant.’ Max grabbed his second auto-injector from his car, as his mother prepared to drive him to the hospital. By this point, McGlinchey says that Max was really struggling to breath, and gave himself the second epinephrine shot before the car could pull out of the driveway. He then went into cardiac arrest and fell unconscious. His parents immediately called 911 and began to give their son CPR.”

June 2018

Florida Teen Dies Following Severe Allergic Reaction to Peanut – “Alexi Ryann Stafford, a 15-year-old from Weston, Florida, with a peanut allergy and asthma, has died following a severe reaction to peanut-containing food.”

Takeaway owner is ordered to pay just £3,000 after schoolgirl, 15, died from severe allergic reaction from yoghurt she didn’t know was in kebab – Riad Benotman, 37, who owns the Al Falafel Takeaway Ltd, must now pay £2,960 – Chloe Gilbert, 15, who had a dairy allergy, was served yogurt at the takeaway – She died two hours later at a shopping centre in Bath from anaphylactic shock – The council found that there were no allergen signs on display in the restaurant – Benotman claimed he would give his customers allergen information verbally

Sweet Caroline Foundation raises severe allergy awareness following death of N.B. teen – “The tragic death of a Saint John-area teenager almost four years ago has led to the birth of a movement to educate the public on the issue of severe allergies. Caroline Lorette died in 2014 following a severe allergic reaction to dairy. Since her death, the Sweet Caroline Foundation was founded and a scholarship formed in her memory.”

Panera Bread to face jury trial for franchise that added peanut butter to allergic child’s sandwich – A judge has determined that the family’s lawsuit can move forward

Quorn linked to dozens of potentially fatal allergic reactions as sales soar thanks to growing numbers of vegans and vegetarians – Meat substitute associated with more than 1,700 self-reported sickness cases – Comes as sales of the trendy UK meat alternative rises globally to 16 per cent – Its rise in popularity coincided with an increase in the number of vegetarians

New allergy treatment brings hope to young boy facing life-threatening condition – For one young boy just stepping outside his house could be a life-threatening decision, but his parents are risking everything to give him a normal childhood.

Supermarket product recalls: Undeclared milk in dairy-free dessert sent dad-to-be to hospital – “‘I ate the product and we knew straight away something was wrong,’ he said. Within half an hour, he was inside the emergency department at St Vincent’s Hospital being injected with adrenalin. A week later, he relapsed and spent the next month covered in eczema, his eyes red and swollen, his face puffy.”

After Elijah Tragedy, New York City to Require Stock Epinephrine and Training at Daycares – “Elijah’s parents, Thomas Silvera and Dina Hawthorne-Silvera, say their son was fed a grilled cheese sandwich at the Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services in New York City last November, despite his dairy allergy being well-documented. He didn’t receive epinephrine right away, as his mother says she wasn’t told her son had eaten and she thought he was having an asthma attack. Elijah died in the hospital.”

Dengvaxia caused deaths of vaccinated children: PAO chief – “‘Dengvaxia has side effects as admitted by Sanofi (Dengvaxia maker Sanofi Pasteur) in December 2016 before the vaccine was bought -allergic anaphylactic reaction, viscerotropism, neurotropism and/ or severe dengue,’ she explained. She pointed out that the DOH has even declared 87 deaths possibly caused by the vaccine as of last month.”

May 2018

Cleveland Clinic fellow, NC doctor save woman’s life on airplane after allergic reaction – “Spencer, who has a severe peanut allergy, was having an allergic reaction to a bag of chips she had eaten right before the flight. Her body was going into anaphylactic shock. That’s when Dr. Erich Kiehl, an electrophysiology fellow from the Cleveland Clinic, and another doctor from North Carolina sprang into action. The men injected Spencer with an Epi-Pen four separate times and monitored her vitals over and over.”

Th2A Cells — the Latest T Helper Cell Subset and its Role in Allergy – “Up until now, there was no biological measurement to distinguish between allergy-inducing Th2 cells and those that provide immune protection. Using alder pollen as a model, scientists have finally identified a unique allergic Th2 cell immune signature that characterizes these allergy-inducing cells, naming them Th2A cells (Wambre et al. 2017).”

April 2018

Parents concerned about Canadian EpiPen shortage – “‘We’ve had to use EpiPens multiple times,’ said the Toronto mother of three, whose four-year-old daughter is free of allergies. ‘Both of my sons have gone into anaphylaxis, a few times.’ Six-year-old Lucien is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat and chicken; Xavier, 2, can’t tolerate fish, peanuts or eggs. In the most recent incident, Lucien had an unusually delayed allergic reaction to wheat a couple of hours after having had a scheduled food-challenge test at his allergist’s office and ‘ended up kind of gasping for air and not being able to breathe,’ said Osena. ‘He Epied himself.'”

Dublin pharmacist saves the life of teen screaming ‘please don’t let me die’ – ‘If the incident had happened any later the outcome could have been very different’ – “Hero pharmacist Diana Truta managed to come to the rescue when she recognised the symptoms of anaphylactic shock in the boy, who was rushed into the store by his concerned mum at 9pm. The sick teen was having difficulty breathing and displayed visible swelling on his neck after unwittingly eating a brownie with nuts inside which severely aggravated his allergies.”

“We could have lost our son”: Toddler with serious allergy ‘could have died’ after Pizza Hut staff made catastrophic blunder – Zayaan Hussain, two – who has a potentially fatal dairy allergy – went into anaphylactic shock after eating a child’s margherita pizza at the popular restaurant chain

Life threatening food allergy after vaccination – “On the fourth month we asked doctor about his rash; she reassured us that it is normal and that lots of babies have it and outgrow it in their toddler years. She injected another set of vaccines.”

Female US Army soldier, 32, went into anaphylactic shock dancing at a wedding after one cocktail, a glass of red wine, steak and crab cakes because the exercise and food ‘overwhelmed her body’ – “A female US Army soldier went into anaphylactic shock caused by a combination of dinner, drinks and dancing at a wedding, despite not having any known allergies. Researchers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center delved into the unidentified 32-year-old’s unprecedented case in a new report published Thursday.”

March 2018

‘Under-recognized and under-diagnosed’: Could you be allergic to marijuana? – “‘The more people that are exposed to marijuana, the more likely we are to see allergies,’ Toronto-based allergist and immunologist Dr. Gordon Sussman told CTV News. ‘Marijuana allergy can potentially be very severe — potentially, it can cause life-threatening reactions just like a peanut allergy.'”

This is interesting. Marijuana contains the molecular weight 50 kDA according to this study in The Journal Of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Many vaccines and peanuts also contain 50 kDa and can cross react. More about this here-search the page for “molecular weights”.

Mum sobs as she relives accidentally feeding son sweet that triggered fatal allergic reaction – Within moments of tasting the sweet the secondary school pupil complained of feeling unwell and began struggling to breathe – just over an hour later he was dead – “The first EpiPen they tried to use to give Aaron a shot of adrenaline broke so they quickly grabbed a second one, meanwhile she frantically dialled 999. Paramedics arrived and initially it appeared the shot of adrenaline was working. He was conscious when he was put into the ambulance. But Aaron [O’Farrell] went into cardiac arrest and despite efforts to save the “kind and courageous” youngster he was pronounced dead later at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.”

Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Study Shows Spike in Emergency Room Trips for Kids with Severe Allergies to Food and Other Substances – “Emergency room visits from anaphylaxis to food and other allergens spiked 150 percent from 2010 through 2016, according to a new seven-year study of medical claims by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s (BCBSA) Health of America Report. The study uses medical claims to analyze how many young Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) members were diagnosed with an allergy and the number of emergency room visits from anaphylaxis from 2010 to 2016. Children diagnosed as susceptible to an anaphylaxis episode increased 104 percent during the study period, rising from 23 per 10,000 children in 2010 to 47 per 10,000 children in 2016.”

District School Bus Rules May Have Contributed to the Amanda Huynh Tragedy – “Our understanding is that the rules regarding operation of the school bus prohibited the self-carrying of epinephrine by students, presumably due to some misguided safety concern. As there was no provision for stock epinephrine, there was no opportunity for the driver, trained or otherwise, to administer epinephrine in a timely fashion once Amanda complained of feeling ill.”

Lee student dies of allergic reaction – “A Lee Middle School sixth-grader died Thursday at an Atlanta hospital, two days after eating food that triggered a fatal allergic reaction. Amanda Huynh, 12, became ill on a school bus Tuesday afternoon after eating a snack she brought from home, according to Coweta County Coroner Richard Hawk. She died of anaphylactic shock from a peanut allergy … After she complained of not feeling well to the bus driver on Tuesday, Huynh went in to see the nurse at East Coweta High School, where the bus from Lee Middle had stopped.”

How Wolf Blitzer came to Michael McCaul’s rescue at a Washington dinner – “U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul has an allergy to peanuts, which he calls his ‘Achilles heel.’ At a recent Washington dinner, McCaul fell ill and CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer rushed him to the hospital.”

Teen’s death from nut allergy after meal at South Yorkshire restaurant prompts warning – “A teenager died from an allergic reaction after eating a curry at a South Yorkshire restaurant – just months after a similar tragedy was narrowly averted at the same premises. Dylan Hill, who had been diagnosed with a peanut allergy aged 10, was dining out with his partner in Barnsley when he became unwell after consuming just one or two mouthfuls of his korma meal. … Investigations found the ‘almond powder’ used in the korma contained 94 per cent almonds and six per cent peanuts.”

Long Island Family Pushes For EpiPens On Planes After Mid-Flight Allergy Attack – ““We had a nurse on board. We were lucky that we had two passengers that had EpiPens. What are the odds of that?” said Francine. … The first auto-injector filled with epinephrine was defective. “She looked in my throat and saw it closing,” said Luca. The pilots considered an emergency landing when the second injection worked.”

Mom slams American Airlines for ‘limited’ response during son’s near-fatal allergic reaction – “As Francine Valerie Ingrassia flew back home to the U.S. from a vacation in Aruba with her four children on a first class American Airlines flight, she never expected that her ten-year-old son Luca would experience a near-fatal allergic reaction after eating a cashew in the high skies. Now, Ingrassia hopes to raise awareness and promote airline policy change to prevent similar emergencies in the future. On Feb. 28, the Garden City, New York mom took to Facebook to detail the incident, which has since gone viral with over 2,000 reactions and nearly 1,300 shares.”

Promising footballer, 15, suddenly collapses and dies after allergic reaction to Chinese takeaway chicken ball – Nottingham Forest fan James Turnbull, who had a career in sport ahead of him, collapsed and died from a nut allergy while out with friends – “The 15-year-old ate a chicken ball from his friend’s Chinese meal as the travelled on a bus on February 24. As James got off the bus, he collapsed and went into an anaphylactic shock. He died 50 minutes later at 11.30pm. James had suffered from a nut allergy for many years. His devastated mum and dad have paid tribute to their “outgoing, popular and sporty” son who had his whole life ahead of him.”

February 2018

EpiPen Failures – “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received 228 reports of EpiPen failures in 2016. During that period, seven fatalities and 35 hospitalizations were attributed to the failure of EpiPen, an epinephrine-containing device used to stabilize potentially fatal allergic reactions. Mylan NV, the seller of EpiPen, controls about 70 percent of the market for emergency allergy treatments and has recently been accused of anti-competitive conduct. The company now faces allegations that its product does not work properly.”

Hospital breakfast caused allergic reaction which led to boy’s death, coroner finds – “On Monday, Coroner Phillip Byrne concluded that the Mount Martha teenager suffered anaphylaxis from an “undetermined allergen” in the morning meal provided to him. … But despite the sporty year- 7 student complaining of tingling to his lips immediately after tasting the Weet-Bix, the hospital had refused to concede the meal was responsible for an allergic reaction, only agreeing that it was ‘possible’.”

Louis Tate: Heartbroken parents of teen who died from allergy plan to sue hospital – “He was given four doses of adrenaline, but his condition worsened and he suffered a further reaction to anaesthetic. Corner Phillip Byrne today found it was the anaesthetic that triggered a rare reaction and ultimately his death from malignant hyperthermia. “Save for the intervening event, the reaction to the anaesthetic agent resulting in malignant hypothermia, Louis would have survived and been discharged home well; therein lies the cruellest irony,” the coroner said. The Coroner also found the breakfast served to the teen contained an undetermined allergen.”

Why redefining our own Grief is important. I am a Mother of an Angel. – “My son Joseph was 7 years old, he had severe food allergies. He fought his final battle with anaphylaxis on Halloween 2014. As a parent, we attempt to keep our children safe and cannot fathom that our child will not be with us all of our lives.”

Widow remembers Blytheville officer who died at 31 from food allergy – “A Blytheville police officer will be laid to rest Saturday after he died suddenly from an allergic reaction to cashews Wednesday. Officer George Hodgkiss was only 31.”

‘WE ARE DEVASTATED’ Shattered family of Scots teen who died from asthma attack in Cyprus pay tribute to ‘beautiful young lady’ – Tragic Aimee Sweeney, from Lanarkshire, was struck down with breathing problems on Tuesday evening while walking her dog – “We are devastated, it’s so tragic. She had asthma, it was getting better, she still needed her daily medication. ‘We don’t know what sparked the asthma attack. She also had a peanut allergy.’”

Marion County Coroner Releases Annual Report – 9 Drug Related Deaths, 100 Cancer Deaths, and 2 Flu Shot Related Deaths Reported – “There were two deaths in 2017 directly attributable to reaction from administration of the Influenza Vaccine- one was an accidental administration to an elderly person who had a known and documented allergy to the vaccine components; the other was a random, unexpected reaction in an elderly person who had received the vaccine in previous years with no adverse consequences. There were no deaths in 2016 or 2017 directly attributable to an Influenza virus in Marion County.”

January 2018

Red Sneakers For Oakley wants schools to teach food allergy dangers – “Merrill Debbs wants this to be the year that everyone talks about food allergies: schools, teachers, families around the dinner table — everyone. A little more than a year after losing her son, Oakley, to anaphylactic shock related to a nut allergy, Debbs is ramping up her organization’s outreach efforts.”

Widow of allergy sufferer killed by takeaway meal speaks out as investigation reveals potentially deadly food served to nut allergy sufferers – “Takeaway owners are putting people’s lives at risk by serving food that contains peanuts to customers who have declared they have a nut allergy, an investigation has found.”

TV producer left brain damaged by nuts allergy (video)

Teen charged with aggravated assault for allegedly exposing pineapple to girl with allergies – ” A Pennsylvania teen is facing charges including aggravated assault after police say she intentionally exposed another girl to pineapple, knowing she was allergic. The victim, 14, was hospitalized following the incident at Butler Intermediate High School in Pennsylvania last month, Butler Police Lt. Matthew Pearson told ABC News. Following an investigation, three girls were charged this Tuesday, he said.”

December 2017

Boy’s tragic death leaves lasting mark on the hearts of many – The Leader-Post reporting team looks back on the funny, heartbreaking, uplifting and surprising stories of 2017 that stuck with them. – “In Saskatoon to see an allergy specialist, Trendon accidentally ate some fish at a buffet that caused what at first seemed like a mild allergic reaction, but later turned into a severe asthma attack caused by anaphylactic shock. The family was swimming in their hotel pool when Trendon starting feeling unwell. A few hours later, his father was attempting CPR on Trendon on the hotel lobby floor. He had been on his way to the hospital. Trendon couldn’t breath and his lips had already started turning blue. Doctors said his heart had stopped for 35 minutes. He was revived on the way to the hospital, only to be pronounced brain-dead at 11:11 a.m. on July 1.”

Verdict of medical misadventure in case of fatal allergic reaction – Martin Staines was given a steroid injection at St James’s Hospital in Dublin – “Martin Staines from Killinarden Heights in Tallaght, Dublin 24 suffered a fatal reaction to an agent known as polyethylene glycol. The father of four, who had suffered a number of anaphylactic shocks in the past, died after receiving the injection at St James’s Hospital on July 31st, 2015.”

Boy Louis Tate died in Frankston Hospital from food despite warning about allergies – LOUIS Tate was admitted for an asthma attack, but a meal served to him at Frankston Hospital led to his tragic death, despite staff being told about the 13-year-old’s allergy. – ““He was in hospital, at a place where he should have been safe. Yet despite us providing clear and concise communications about his food allergies, he died.”

Two men charged with manslaughter over nut allergy death of teenager – Megan Lee, 15, had an allergic reaction after eating food from Royal Spice Indian takeaway in Hyndburn, Lancashire

Above 30 % Indians suffering from allergic diseases – Dr Nageshwar, who is also the national president of Allergy and Asthama Network of India, said that nearly 25 per cent of the people living in both the Telugu States were suffering from the food allergies as per a clinical estimation. – “Food allergies are causing around 50,000 emergency care cases at the hospitals, and around 200 deaths are reported in India per year. In fact that 40 lakh Indian suffer from peanut allergy alone,” he said.”

No surprise here. Pentavalent and other vaccines with adjuvants introduced = increased allergy

November 2017

Young adults with food allergies having ‘frequent’ allergic reactions leaving researchers searching for answers – A Melbourne study has found more than 40 per cent of Australian adolescents with food allergies are experiencing frequent allergic reactions, including potentially lethal anaphylactic attacks. – “Professor Allen said the study raised lots of questions about why young people were having frequent allergic reactions. ‘Is it because they’re taking more risks now as they become less supervised in an environment of transitioning independence?’ she said. ‘Or is it because they’re less educated about how to avoid the foods, or because their food allergy itself is changing in nature?'”

Got Food Allergies? Add Milk To The Worries For Your Meal – “The data add to the mounting evidence that the number of people living with a food allergy is on the rise. From 2007 to 2016, medical services related to food allergies listed on private health insurance claims increased by 76 percent, said Robin Gelburd, president of Fair Health.”

Mum nearly dies of allergic shock after munching mouldy McDonald’s burger – Shanie Granfield, 23, was left gasping for air after biting into restaurant’s South African stack burger

Researchers Give New Perspective on Progression from Eczema to Asthma and Allergies – Research in the AAAAI’s journal, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), is giving new insight into the atopic march and what conditions may indicate a higher risk of further allergic disease. – “In “Predicting the atopic march: results from the Canadian Healthy Infant Longitudinal Development Study,” the researchers found the combination of conditions can have strong interactive effects on the risk of asthma and allergy by the time the child turns 3.” Really?? Where is the recommendation that babies with eczema or showing signs of allergic disease have their vaccinations delayed or avoided? The way it used to be in the UK, East Germany and Russia?

Family shares tragic story of child lost as food allergies skyrocket – “Jen Sorensen was using an EpiPen on Tanner, but the pens were not working. The first EpiPen didn’t go through his pants and the second EpiPen bent and went into Jen’s thumb. Finally -the third EpiPen worked, but only after removing his clothing. Something that should not have to happen. A report released earlier this week shows this family is not the only one to have problems. The FDA has found seven deaths this year have been blamed on EpiPen failures with hundreds of reports of the pen breaking or not working. Tanner was still not conscious or breathing after his mom had attempted chest compressions waiting for first responders.”

Mom petitions to change allergy policy in schools after boy dies eating grilled cheese – “‘This isn’t just one school or two. This is a nationwide problem,’ Burch tells Yahoo Lifestyle. ‘I wanted to raise awareness the only way I knew how. I knew the issue was big, but just how big is what I am finding out now. There are families all over the nation that are terrified to send their children to school because of reading the horror stories like mine.’”

Petition – Allergy procedures in schools HAVE to change!!! – “Two weeks ago, my daughter was given a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at school. This was with the school (by direct conversations with me – the principal, cafeteria manager, teachers and Nurse) being fully aware of her allergies to peanuts and treenuts.”

Parents push to have EpiPens readily available in all Winnipeg schools – ” Her vision is to launch a pilot project to see locked and alarmed Epipen cabinets in school hallways. Each would contain two Epipens and would cost $250 to install and $200 to stock the cabinet each year.”

Elijah’s Tragedy: What We Know, What’s Being Done – “The food allergy community has been rocked by the news that Elijah Silvera, only 3 years old, was fed a grilled cheese sandwich at his New York City preschool. This caused the boy to suffer a severe reaction that took his life.”

NYC early education programs get new protocols after child’s death – “Health officials announced changes Monday at one of the city’s early education programs, less than two weeks after a 3-year-old child died from an allergic reaction. … Elijah Silvera, who was enrolled at an Administration for Children’s Services-sponsored program in Harlem, died Nov. 3 after he was given a grilled cheese sandwich, according to his parents. His parents said it was widely known and documented that he had a severe dairy allergy.”

Mandatory reporting of anaphylactic cases after tragic death of young boy – “The Andrews Government will introduce legislation today to make it mandatory for hospitals to report cases of anaphylaxis. It comes after a food labelling error led to the death of a 10-year-old boy. Ronak Warty died in 2013 after consuming a coconut drink bought from an Asian supermarket in Burwood East that contained undeclared dairy milk. The product was left on the shelves for six weeks after his death, after the hospital failed to alert the health department. Chief Executive of Allergy and Anaphylaxis Australia Maria Said has welcomed the move from the government.”

Saying Goodbye to Elijah – killed by cheese sandwich – GoFundMe page – “On November 3rd, 2017, our beloved Elijah was playing peacefully at his pre-k in Harlem, NYC, when he was given a grilled cheese sandwich by an adult at the pre-k, despite them knowing and having documented that he has a severe allergy to dairy. Elijah went into anaphylactic shock and was taken to the Pediatric ER at Harlem Hospital, where, tragically, they were unable to save him. Elijah leaves behind his heartbroken mother, Dina, father, Thomas, and his 5-year-old brother Sebastian, as well as dozens of friends and family members who all mourn the loss of his precious young life. Elijah was three years old.”

October 2017

EpiPen Failures Cited in Seven Deaths This Year, FDA Files Show – It’s not just about the price anymore. Complaints about the lifesaving device have doubled since 2016 – ” Failure of EpiPens to deploy correctly have been cited in seven deaths this year through mid-September, according to reports by patients and physicians made to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and obtained by Bloomberg News. The FDA received a total of 228 reports of EpiPen or EpiPen Jr. failures during the same time period, according to documents made available as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request. In addition to the deaths, 35 people were hospitalized, according to the reports.”

British-Indian couple loses 9-yr-old daughter to allergy, launches awareness drive – “Despite her father administering immediate first aid, including an epipen given for emergency use and calling in the emergency services, Nainika suffered severe anaphylaxis. After about six days on life support, the couple had to finally decide to let her go. ‘The doctor said it looked like it wasn’t the blackberry on its own, but there was something to do with dairy. The pancakes were dairy-free, but we’re not sure if the ingredients had been contaminated or something. We didn’t have any dairy products at home. The exact cause is unknown and it has left us with a lot of questions,’ says Kaul.”

September 2017

Minnesota Teenager Dies from Severe Reaction from Peanut Cookie – “A Minnesota teenager who had a severe reaction to a cookie containing peanuts passed away on Sept. 22. The death of Jacob MacDonald follows several days in which he was on life support at Minneapolis’s Children’s Hospital after an anaphylactic reaction on Sept. 16.”

US Food and Drug Administration Warning Letter to Meridian Medical Technologies, Inc. a Pfizer Company 9/5/17 – “You failed to thoroughly investigate multiple serious component and product failures for your EpiPen products, including failures associated with patient deaths and severe illness. You also failed to expand the scope of your investigations into these serious and life-threatening failures or take appropriate corrective actions, until FDA’s inspection.”

U.S. FDA warns of problems with EpiPen manufacturing plant – No supply issues anticipated as a result of warning letter, U.S. distributor says – “‘We currently have no information to indicate that there was any causal connection between these product complaints and any patient deaths.’ In an interview with CBC News, Antoniou said all necessary actions were taken to remediate the component, which she called a ‘low-level defect.’ There is currently no recall.”

If the CBC had looked at the Canadian Adverse Event Database “Canada Vigilance” they would have found reports of “Device issue, Product quality issue and Underdose” and “Device Failure”. For a Summary of Reported reactions see this PDF file (as of September 9, 2017).

FDA says there have been ‘hundreds of complaints’ about EpiPen misfires, some followed by patient deaths – EpiPens are used to treat a potentially fatal reaction known as anaphylaxis – The devices are made for Mylan by a subsidiary of Pfizer – The FDA said inspections of the subsidiary had discovered “significant violations” in the manufacturing of EpiPen at a Missouri plant.

‘Every second counts’: Parents question teacher training with EpiPen – “One of the coordinators for the Metro Vancouver Anaphylaxis Group, MacKinnon has had several experiences where a teacher on call (TOC) either hasn’t had his or her annual refresher on how to recognize the symptoms of anaphylaxis and use an EpiPen — or has never been trained at all.”

August 2017

Eamonn and Ruth DISGUSTED by passenger who was kicked off flight due to NUT ALLERGY –
“EAMONN HOLMES and Ruth Langsford were disgusted as one of their guests revealed to the This Morning team that she was recently kicked off a flight due to her nut allergy.”

‘She has been robbed of everything’ – Mother of TV producer, 24, who was brain-damaged after she was given nuts in a restaurant says some NHS staff still don’t take allergies seriously
– Amy May Shead was diagnosed with an allergy to nuts as a toddler
– She followed medical advice to the letter to manage her severe allergy
– But Amy May almost died after eating restaurant food in Budapest in 2014
– She was left brain-damaged, which her mother Sue said was ‘totally avoidable’

‘I THINK I’M GOING TO DIE’ – “Terrified schoolboy, 9, died from severe allergic reaction as frantic staff took 11 MINUTES to find EpiPen which could have saved him – An inquest concluded it was unclear what caused Ismaeel Ashraf’s fatal anaphylactic shock”

A Striking Rise in Serious Allergy Cases – Insurance claims for dangerous reactions to foods like peanuts, eggs and dairy have increased by nearly five times over the past decade

An Australian researcher may have developed a long-term cure for peanut allergies – “Eighty-two per cent of children with peanut allergies who underwent the clinical trial suddenly found themselves able to tolerate the killer nut … Researchers from AllerGen NCE Inc. estimate that one in thirteen Canadians have a food allergy, and 1.93 per centˇ — over 700,000 — have a serious peanut allergy.”

Athens woman develops meat allergy after tick bite – “In March, the 55-year-old real estate agent spent a week in the hospital following a severe allergic reaction to a chili-dog, and as a result, was diagnosed with alpha-gal allergy.”

Alabama Boy, 3, Dies of Severe Reaction During Baked Milk Challenge Test – “His mother Pamela wrote to Allergic Living that her son’s symptoms of anaphylaxis began as he taking part in an oral challenge test to see whether he could tolerate food that contains baked milk. He passed away on July 30. The challenge test took place at Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham.”

DEADLY ALLERGY – Nursery school worker, 24, died after eating a single crisp with peanut flavouring – “Georgina Hickman had been out with pals when she was offered the snack – After being rushed to Southampton General Hospital on the night of April 1, doctors found her brain had been starved of oxygen. She remained in hospital for four days, but died on April 5.”

July 2017

Mid-air peanut allergy emergency on Singapore Airlines flight prompts parents’ warning

Shingles and MMR Vaccines May Trigger Anaphylaxis in Meat-Allergic People, Researchers Call for Awareness – “Red meat allergies have been causally linked to bites from lone star ticks, but a correspondence published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology now also claims that both the vaccine made to protect people from experiencing painful cases of shingles and the vaccine designed to protect people from measles, mumps, and rubella may be associated with severe reactions involving people with meat-related allergies.”

Teenage tourist dies from anaphylactic shock – ” A teenager holidaying in St Omer Bay in Marlborough died from an anaphylactic shock, a coroner has found. Mano Louis Simond, 13, from New Caledonia was on holiday with his family on their yacht on January 16, 2015 when he became ill after eating an apple muffin.”

Pictured: schoolboy, 13, who died after reaction to cheese that was ‘flicked in his face’ – “Dame Alice Hudson, executive headteacher at the Ofsted-rated outstanding school, said : “He had a full care plan all the normal steps you would expect with a child with an allergy were in place. We provided these medications and they were delivered. ‘Everything that should have been done was done. Very, very tragically in this situation this was not effective.'”

Boy, 13, arrested over ‘attempted murder’ of pupil who died from allergic reaction – “Karanbir Cheema, known as Karan, died with his parents by his hospital bedside on Sunday, 10 days after taking ill at William Perkin Church of England High School in Greenford, west London.”

BULLY HELL Cops quiz pupils as boy, 13, with severe dairy allergy dies after a ‘cheese sandwich is flicked into his mouth’ – The teenager tragically died in hospital yesterday with his parents by his side

NUT ALLERGY ROW Fight erupts on Ryanair flight from Italy to Dublin after passenger suffers allergic reaction to peanuts – Despite an announcement about the passenger’s allergy, a man sitting beside her opened a bag of peanuts causing her to convulse and collapse

Girl, 8, left with no skin after horrific allergic reaction to childhood vaccination meant it fell off when mum touched her – WARNING DISTRESSING IMAGES, Isabel Olesen developed painful sores allover her body just 48 hours after jab and it left her mother with the ‘smell of burning flesh stuck to her hands’ – “Isabel Olesen, from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, developed painful blisters all over her body just 48 hours after having an injection – something that left her fighting for her life. Her mum, Edwina, 39, was horrified and after rushing her to hospital , she was diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) – a rare but life threatening allergic reaction to medication or an infection.”

June 2017

EpiPen maker faces revolt over exec’s $98 million pay package – EpiPen maker Mylan is racing to put down a revolt from shareholders outraged by a $98 million pay package for its former CEO.

Warning after Halliwell mum Andrea Scholes ’10 minutes’ from death after mid-flight allergic reaction

Has science cracked the peanut allergy? – Amid the alarming rise in food allergies, two new treatments are on the verge of approval. David Crow reports on how they work, and why our food has turned against us – “Giovanni was rushed into the emergency room, where doctors managed to resuscitate him but were unable to wake him from a coma. “They tried everything but his brain had been starved of oxygen for too long and his body couldn’t cope. He never woke up. Eighteen days later, he passed away.”

The above article does not mention the vaccine connection to allergy.

Is Epinephrine Safe for Older Patients with Anaphylaxis? – “Four of the 44 (9.1%) older patients who received epinephrine had cardiovascular complications (ventricular arrhythmias, ischemic ECG findings, elevated serum troponin T values and stroke) compared to 1 of 225 (0.4%) in the younger patients.”

Adults fatally failing to give kids adrenaline – “Food-related anaphylaxis killed seven children in Victoria from 2006 to 2015 while asthma killed 17.”

Mylan to Meet Sen. Grassley on EpiPen Claims – “Mylan (MYL) officials have offered to meet with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, on Wednesday, June 7, after the lawmaker threatened to subpoena the company for documents pertaining to the company’s participation in a federal rebate program for Medicaid patients using the company’s EpiPen allergy treatment. Mylan’s offer follows Grassley’s May 31 release of a Medicaid investigator’s report concluding that EpiPen may have received $1.27 billion more from the rebate program from 2006 through 2016 than the company was entitled.”

May 2017

Parents warned about giving Benadryl to children following 4 Connecticut deaths – “Over-the-counter cold and allergy medication can have potentially life threatening complications for young children and are not recommended to be given to children under the age of 2. Children older than two must be dosed based on weight.”

EpiPens should work at least a while past expiration dates – “For more than four years past their stamped expiration dates, the handheld injectors retained high-enough concentrations of epinephrine to in all likelihood prevent potentially fatal allergic reactions, the study found. The manufacturer advises patients to replace the life-saving EpiPen devices annually. Worried that surging EpiPen prices make yearly replacement unaffordable for many families, pharmacist F. Lee Cantrell analyzed 40 expired EpiPens and EpiPen Juniors. Cantrell, who directs the California Poison Control System in San Diego, found that the auto-injectors did lose potency over time. Even 50 months past expiration, however, the EpiPens retained 84 percent of epinephrine concentrations – enough to prevent anaphylactic shock, he said in a phone interview.”

Inquest: Megan Lee suffered anaphylactic shock after ‘seemingly eating kebab or a peshwari naan – The 15-year-old from Oswaldtwistle died on New Year’s Day

Health Department: Food allergies send someone to ER every 3 minutes

Peninsula parents of boy, 13, who died following suspected anaphylaxis call for greater awareness about food allergies – “Simon Tate and Gabrielle Catan said their son, Louis, was diagnosed with severe food allergies as a baby and subsequently they always carried an EpiPen. But in October 2015, it all went horribly wrong after Louis, then 13, was admitted to Frankston Hospital due to asthma. While the Coroner’s inquest is yet to be held, Louis’ parents believe food he was given at the hospital contributed to his death. However, they said hospital officials told them Louis suffered a complication to the anaesthesia he was administered.”

Beating child food allergies could be a piece of cake! How one mother stopped her daughter’s egg allergy with a little sweet treat everyday – Science journalist Robin Nixon Pompa learned Clara might have egg allergies – Under the guidance of Dr Gideon Lack, Clara had a small bit of egg, in a cake, everyday, and a few nuts she could be allergic too – Slowly she was able to build up, and age six, doesn’t have egg or nut allerg – Mrs Pompa has written a book based on her experiences and work with Dr Lack”

Young sailor is forced to give up his career dream after being told he’s unfit for work because of nut allergy – Gordon Yule, 21, wanted to see the world rather than get a university degree – Declared fit to work at sea but was left fighting for life after a chicken satay – Had to take another medical and was declared ‘permanently unfit to work’ – Mr Yule said: ‘What has happened is just ridiculous and completely unfair’

Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated: Guess who is Sicker? – A pilot study of 666 homeschooled six to 12-year-olds from four American states published on April 27th in the Journal of Translational Sciences, compared 261 unvaccinated children with 405 partially or fully vaccinated children, and assessed their overall health based on their mothers’ reports of vaccinations and physician-diagnosed illnesses. What it found about increases in immune-mediated diseases like allergies and neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, should make all parents think twice before they ever vaccinate again:

*Vaccinated children were more than three times as likely to be diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum (OR 4.3)

*Vaccinated children were 30-fold more likely to be diagnosed with allergic rhinitis (hay fever) than non-vaccinated children

* Vaccinated children were 22-fold more likely to require an allergy medication than unvaccinated children

*Vaccinated children had more than quadruple the risk of being diagnosed with a learning disability than unvaccinated children (OR 5.2)

*Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder than unvaccinated children (OR 4.3)

* Vaccinated children were 340 percent (OR 4.4) more likely to have been diagnosed with pneumonia than unvaccinated children

*Vaccinated children were 300 percent more likely to be diagnosed with an ear infection than unvaccinated children (OR 4.0)

*Vaccinated children were 700 percent more likely to have surgery to insert ear drainage tubes than unvaccinated children (OR 8.01)

* Vaccinated children were 2.5-fold more likely to be diagnosed with any chronic illness than unvaccinated children”

Boy ate meal he was allergic to before collapsing in detention, inquest hears – “Dr Palm told the inquest she found blood cells in his body which are associated with an allergic reaction, and gave a cause of death as bronchial asthma that led to a hypoxic ischaemic brain injury, with multiple allergies as a contributing factor.”

Asthmatic schoolboy, 14, with allergy to foods who died ‘had his care mistakenly downgraded from severe to mild’ – Nasar Ahmed, 14, fell ill in detention at school and was pronounced dead six days later, an inquest heard – “”Nasar had severe eczema, severe asthma and fought allergies. In terms of his asthma he had a purple inhaler for mornings and evenings and salbutamol. He could not eat fish, nuts, wheat, apples, oranges and other things. I would carry his EpiPen and the school had two in case of emergencies.”

April 2017

Mom pushes for EpiPen policy after daughter nearly dies – “Chandler Sullivan’s daughter, Piper, was just 1 1/2 years old in December when she suffered an anaphylactic reaction due to an unknown, severe allergy to sunflower seed butter, a common alternative to peanut butter in an age when peanut and tree nut allergies are rampant.”

Allergies and food intolerances on flights – how do airlines react? – “Student David Dwek flew with South African company Mango Airlines to Cape Town in August 2016. Out of a group of 30 students, five had life-threatening nut allergies. ‘We were told making an announcement was against company policy,’ said David.”

Number of people going to hospital with allergic reactions skyrockets – The number of times children aged under 9 have been treated for anaphylactic shock has risen more than 50% in the last five years

Kate Silverton was ‘seconds from DEATH’ after eating a prawn salad at Ascot – Her life was saved by a passerby who knew just what to do

CHICKEN DINNER DEATH Student, 18, collapsed and died after eating grilled chicken on a date and suffering a massive allergic reaction – Owen Carey was in London for the day when he collapsed in front of the London Eye after a severe allergic reaction
more details here:
Teenager died near London Eye from allergic reaction to street food and here:
Father’s emotional tribute to son who died from food allergy in front of London Eye

Revealed – NHS blunders ‘led to FOUR THOUSAND deaths’ and made 13,000 people worse last year after staff gave wrong drugs and left ‘surgical instruments’ inside patients – “The parents of one-year-old Liyho Swift-Mitchell, whose lungs collapsed after a nurse ignored allergy warnings and gave him the wrong antibiotic, called for an investigation. Liam Swift-Mitchell, 24, from Gloucester, told MailOnline: ‘It’s absolutely disgusting. It makes me scared to take my son to hospital, in case it happens again. … Liyho was wearing a red wristband warning of an amoxicillin allergy when his parents took him to Gloucester Royal Hospital for a cold in October, but a nurse gave him the drug anyway. He was rushed to a High Dependency Unit unit and put on an oxygen mask for three days after suffering a severe allergic reaction to the antibiotic, which caused both of his lungs to collapse. Six months later, his father Liam says Liyho still has not recovered from the blunder, telling MailOnline: ‘He does get better, then it gets ten times worse.”

Haverhill mum who suffered near fatal anaphylactic shock thanks ambulance team who saved her life – “The hospital later discovered that Miss Ince had an undiagnosed allergy to peach extract as well as other foods/extracts such as bell pepper and coconut.”

Read more at: http://www.haverhillecho.co.uk/news/haverhill-mum-who-suffered-near-fatal-anaphylactic-shock-thanks-ambulance-team-who-saved-her-life-1-7925259

Mother rushes son to hospital after peanut allergy scare in classroom – “Guerra says her son, who is autistic and unable to speak, was given the peanut based candy by a teacher’s aide.”

Sturgis boy dies of apparent asthma attack near Vale – “A 12-year-old Sturgis boy died Wednesday from an apparent asthma attack, the Butte County Sheriff’s Office said.”

Nickel allergy creates health challenges, student says – “’About 16 percent of men and 36 percent of women under the age of 18 have a nickel allergy in the United States,’ according to healthline.com.”

Allergies: Australian parents too scared to introduce babies to allergenic foods – “Data shows that parents are too afraid, confused or unaware of The Australasian Society of Clinical ­Immunology and Allergy recommendations, introduced last year as a way to reduce growing rates of childhood allergies. Australia has one of the highest rates in the world.”

Pulling the Plug on Peanut Allergy – “As national guidelines have changed recently regarding the introduction of peanuts into infant diets, select Allergy Partners’ locations have begun offering a new program called Food Allergy Risk Reduction (FARR®).”

College student charged in alleged peanut butter hazing – “In an alleged hazing incident that triggered international headlines and sent one mother reeling, a Central Michigan University student has been criminally charged after accusations that he smeared peanut butter on the face of a student with a peanut allergy while that student was passed out.”

Canada joins recall of EpiPens – Some of the emergency anti-allergy shots may not work

March 2017

Teenage girl died after developing anaphylactic shock, inquest hears – “Georgia Murphy had been eating pizza with friends on June 18, 2015, and was walking home when she began to experience tightness of the chest. The teenager, who suffered from asthma, was rushed from her home in Giltspur Wood in Bray, Co Wicklow to hospital in cardiac arrest. She died at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin on June 21 2015.”

FDA approves Regeneron, Sanofi $37,000 per year eczema drug – “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Sanofi SA’s drug for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis, a product widely seen as the most important future growth driver for the two companies. Sanofi and Regeneron said the drug, Dupixent, will have a list price of $37,000 a year. But while the price before discounts and rebates to insurers is far more expensive than topical medicines and steroids currently used to treat eczema, it is less pricey than other injectable antibody drugs for serious conditions, such as psoriasis, that list for about $50,000 a year.”

NIH Designates $42.7 Million for Food Allergy Research Consortium – Consortium Will Continue Seeking Food Allergy Treatment Strategies over Next Seven Years

Mylan Provides Update on Meridian Medical Technologies’, a Pfizer Company, Expanded Voluntary Worldwide Recall of EpiPen® Auto-Injector

Tens of thousands of EpiPens recalled for faulty mechanism – “More than 80,000 EpiPens are being recalled across multiple countries because they might fail to work in an emergency, the company announced this week.  The devices included in the recall were distributed in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and a variety of European countries, but not in the United States, said a spokesperson for Mylan, the company that markets the device.  In two cases, the EpiPens actually did not work, according to a Mylan statement issued on Monday, though the company did not specify whether anyone was injured as a result of the failure.”

Teenager dies of ‘allergic reaction’ in Bath shopping centre – “15-year-old Chloe Gilbert collapsed in Bath’s SouthGate shopping centre on Sunday afternoon. Although emergency services attended the scene, she died shortly after falling ill.”

Police launch investigation as boy, nine, dies from suspected allergic reaction while eating fish and chips at ‘shambles’ Muslim school – Paramedics were called to Al-Hijrah School in Birmingham after boy, 9, fell ill –  They failed to resuscitate him at the scene and he died shortly afterwards – A parent said his allergies were well known before he was given fish and chips

‘I thought she had died’ – Newport mum tells of daughter’s severe allergic reactions – “AT just five years old, Ava Sloan is no stranger to the terrifying, life-threatening effects of severe allergic reactions.  Egg and nut allergies mean she must not eat either, or foods containing them – but she has endured seven episodes of anaphylaxis, or extreme allergic reaction, due to accidental contact.

College student with severe allergy hazed with peanut butter

January 2017

David Bryant seeking medics who saved him after severe allergic reaction while flying to Adelaide – “A FATHER has praised two nurses and a paramedic for saving his life after he suffered a severe allergic reaction, resulting in anaphylaxis, on board a Virgin flight to South Australia. Whyalla man David Bryant was travelling with his family from Brisbane to Adelaide on board a Virgin Australia flight when he had a severe allergic reaction to tomatoes on January 19. … ‘I took my tablets but unfortunately it still felt like my throat was closing over and I couldn’t breath.’ He said his wife Wendy administered two shots of Epipen but both failed as his throat continued to close over.”

Getting millennials to consume peanuts a goal of National Peanut Board – New peanut guidelines address prevention of children’s peanut allergies – “‘Let’s educate those people who want to ban peanuts because of the allergy issue,’ White said. ‘You as growers have also invested a great deal in allergy research.’ … A new LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study found a new method of preventing that childhood allergy, White said. The LEAP study, which peanut growers helped fund, ‘has come up with the idea of introducing peanuts into the diet of children as young as 4 months old.”

Infographic from National Peanut Board – How Can Families Introduce Peanut Protein to Infants (PDF)

Eat peanuts, don’t eat peanuts, eat peanuts: new guidelines won’t stop allergy epidemic by Heather Fraser

Are Vaccinations Safe for Children with Allergies? – “If [Vinu] Arumugham is correct, and the large number of injections of food allergens are responsible for the development of food allergies in children, then this research would strongly support Ms. Claire Dwoskin’s recommendation to remove all food proteins and aluminum compounds from vaccines as soon as possible.”

Loss of business could force McDonald’s to reconsider nut decision, food security expert says – ‘I would be gleeful if I was A&W and Wendy’s,’ says marketing expert

Scents affect quality of life for Cobourg woman (Part 1) “And the Epipen isn’t an instant cure-all, they pointed out. Often — after the initial injection, while they are waiting for an ambulance that usually takes no longer than six to eight minutes — she will require a second injection. ‘It comes back. It’s not unusual for anaphylaxis to rebound,’ Linda said. In fact, paramedics sometimes administer a third shot on the way to the hospital.”

Cobourg couple asks for fragrance-free bylaw (Part 2) “The simplest of everyday fragrances and scents has the potential to constrict Linda Tesluk’s windpipe and deprive her of oxygen. The sensation is akin to the panic one might feel in a near-drowning experience, she said. And afterwards, the depression and fear are slow to lift. It’s a deadly allergy (or anaphylaxis) that has motivated Linda and her husband Andy to request that the Town of Cobourg enact a bylaw banning scents and fragrances.”

Peanuts for babies? – Letters

CVS puts out generic competitor to EpiPen at a 6th of the price – Cost of Mylan’s emergency allergy treatment stirred harsh criticism from Congress – “The drugstore chain says it will charge $109.99 for a two-pack of the authorized generic version of Adrenaclick, a lesser-known treatment compared to EpiPen, which can cost more than $600.”

Schoolgirl, 15, ‘killed by severe allergic reaction to takeaway’ – “Megan Lee, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was taken ill at her home last Friday and rushed to hospital, but died on New Year’s Day.”

New Guidelines: Early Introduction of Peanut to Prevent Peanut Allergy – “In 2015, strong evidence emerged from the LEAP (Learning Early about Peanut Allergy) study that early introduction prevents the development of peanut allergy in many children. Because of the LEAP and a few additional studies, an expert panel of physicians, scientists, and public health experts have created new guidelines for early introduction of peanut to infants.”

NIH-sponsored expert panel issues clinical guidelines to prevent peanut allergy – Recommendations focus on introducing peanut-containing foods to infants

Why One Family Is Taking on American Airlines and Its Food Allergy Policy – “At the end of December, an Oregon family filed a formal notice of complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) over American Airlines’ refusal to let them preboard to wipe down the seating area for their 7-year-old daughter with severe food allergies.”

Kindness Is A Choice — Thank You To One Special Flight Attendant – “Dear Head Flight Attendant on Air Canada Flight 85….”

December 2016

Ticks May Cause Allergic Reaction to Red Meat, Shingles Vaccine – “Now, researchers report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology the case of a 68-year-old woman who developed anaphylaxis within minutes of receiving a shingles vaccine in 2014. The team had encountered this woman previously. Since late 2008, she was known to suffer from red meat allergies and frequent bites from lone star ticks. Tests indicated that she had very high levels of alpha-gal-specific IgE antibodies in her blood. As it so happens, many vaccines potentially contain alpha-gal, since animal products (such as porcine gelatin and calf serum) are commonly used in vaccines. Connecting the dots, the team hypothesized that tick bites were linked to anaphylactic reactions to both red meat and vaccines.”

November 2016

After Son’s Nut Allergy Tragedy, Family Urges Food Allergy Education – “Oakley Debbs was his parents’ pride, the 11-year-old from West Palm Beach, Florida was a straight A student with a sunny disposition and ready smile. Despite some struggles with asthma control, Oakley was an outstanding athlete – a gifted soccer and tennis player, flag football quarterback, and the marathon runner who scooped up the medals in all his races. But tragically, his loving parents – Merrill and Robert Debbs – must now learn to speak of him in the past tense. While on a Thanksgiving vacation in Maine, Oakley ate some cake on Nov. 24 [2016] that contained either nut extract or nuts, and the boy with tree nut and peanut allergies suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction.”

October 2016

Allergy reaction admissions ON THE RISE: Numbers going to hospital jump by a THIRD – THE number of people being admitted to hospital for allergy related illnesses and anaphylactic shock has rocketed by more than a third – 33 per cent – in the last five years “Doctors said they think this could be due to rising levels of ‘cleanliness’ in people’s homes and workplaces, according to the BBC. … Allergy UK has reported over half of children suffer with an allergic reaction.”

“You Can Live a Normal Life with Food Allergies”: FAACT CEO Discusses New Awareness Campaign – “The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT) and American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) recently launched a new public service campaign aimed at building awareness about accurate food allergy diagnosis and management. The campaign, which is supported by a grant from the National Peanut Board, grew out of research we conducted in late 2013 about Americans’ understanding of food allergy. In that study, we learned that many people self-diagnose, or turn to someone other than a board-certified allergist. Moreover, nearly half of people who say they have food allergies don’t carry recommended epinephrine.”

Comment: Living with anaphylaxis is not “normal”.

Cheap EpiPen alternative risks patients’ lives. I’ve seen it myself – “A mistake I made as an intern more than 20 years ago still haunts me. It’s one that doctors continue to make today, even though a simple solution — affordable EpiPens for emergency departments — could make these errors a thing of the past.”

Family Unhappy With Restaurant After Allergic Reaction – “Jack had suffered an anaphylactic reaction and he only survived because he was given an injection with an EpiPen. He had to spend five hours in a hospital that night.”

Mum of tragic teen, Emma Sloan speaks out after hero pharmacist saves girl with Epi-pen – “The mum of a Drimnagh teen who collapsed and died from a nut allergy in Dublin City Centre has spoke out after a pharmacist saved another teen suffering a similar reaction.”

Peanut passions, the ADA, and co-workers who take an employee’s allergy with a grain of salt – “Karla Miller’s answer and the comments were primarily focused on the Human Resources implications and whether the peanut butter spreader (whether it was Addison or not) could be criminally liable. But there are some implications to this under the Americans with Disabilities Act, too.”

Sacramento, family of peanut allergy victim reach settlement – Natalie Giorgi died in 2013 after eating treat with peanut butter

Decision to ban chestnuts taken on medical grounds – “The first child to come to our school with a potentially life threatening nut allergy was over 20 years ago and in the intervening years we have seen, not only an increase in the numbers of children with food allergies, but a wide diversity in the nature and type of allergy.”

Family, friends remember Ontario student who died of allergic reaction after drinking smoothie – First annual ‘Walk for Andrea’ meant to raise awareness about people living with severe food allergies – “On their website, Toronto SickKids Foundation estimates that 300,000 Canadian children live with food allergies.”

EpiPen outrage: Silicon Valley engineers figure real cost to make lifesaving auto-injector two-pack — about $8 – “‘Talk about sleight of hand,’ said [Roland] Krevitt, who isn’t naive to R&D, marketing, distribution and other costs that go into brand name pharmaceuticals — but is still floored by what he figures is a 90-plus-fold markup over the retail price. ‘These guys put a magician to shame.'”

September 2016

Doctors Disagree With Charges Against Dr. Bob Sears, Assert Vaccine Safety Is A Concern – “‘I do not know why there is so much emotion and so little rationality on the vaccine issue,’ a Southern California allergist who also asked to remain anonymous, admits via e-mail. ‘Yes, doctors are afraid. I had a family with severe anaphylaxis tell me they had called 40 doctors, and no one would see them or write a letter [an exemption]. Mess with the drug industry and lose your license.’”

NZBA urges caution before changing infant feeding guidelines – Thursday, 22 September 2016, 2:17 pm – Press Release: Breastfeeding NZ – “New claims that infants should be given peanuts and other potential allergens at the expense of exclusive breastfeeding has raised concern with New Zealand Breastfeeding Alliance (NZBA) – a view that is shared internationally by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF. ‘Misinformation given to parents suggesting that exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age is no longer best practice, is premature and incorrect,’ NZBA executive officer Julie Stufkens said today.”

School librarian dies after receiving allergy shot

Family matters: EpiPens had high-level help getting into schools – “After Gayle Manchin took over the National Association of State Boards of Education in 2012, she spearheaded an unprecedented effort that encouraged states to require schools to purchase medical devices that fight life-threatening allergic reactions. The association’s move helped pave the way for Mylan Specialty, maker of EpiPens, to develop a near monopoly in school nurses’ offices. Eleven states drafted laws requiring epinephrine auto-injectors. Nearly every other state recommended schools stock them after what the White House called the “EpiPen Law” in 2013 gave funding preference to those that did. The CEO of Mylan then, and now, was Heather Bresch. Gayle Manchin is Heather Bresch’s mother.”

If It Needs a Sign, It’s Probably Bad Design – More words won’t solve your design problem – “The EpiPen, the potentially life-saving device that delivers a dose of medicine to people having a severe allergic reaction, has been all over the news for its outrageous price spike. Going up 500 percent in just under a decade is upsetting. But even as the company and regulators are dealing with its price, going unaddressed is the product’s significant design flaw.”

It Costs $30 to Make a DIY EpiPen, and Here’s the Proof – The medical maker collective Four Thieves Vinegar made an “EpiPencil” for a tiny fraction of what the EpiPen manufacturer Mylan charges

Introducing the EpiPencil

The EpiPen scandal is just a symptom of America’s unexplained allergy epidemic

Epidemic of tick-induced meat allergy on Sydney’s Northern Beaches – The bite of the paralysis tick can lead to a deadly meat allergy – and Sydney’s Northern Beaches is infested with them.

Study Shows Worrisome Increase in Cases of Anaphylaxis Among Children and Underuse of Epinephrine Auto-Injectors – London Drugs Pharmacists Say Anaphylaxis Awareness, Preparedness and Access to Treatment Is Critical for Children Heading Back to School – “Findings from AllerGen’s Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis Registry (C-CARE) reveal a ‘worrisome increase’ in anaphylaxis cases among children. The percentage of emergency department visits due to anaphylaxis doubled over the four-year research period.”

Peanut-Free Public Spaces Have Dire Consequences for Food Bank Users – Many low-income Torontonians rely on peanut butter as a nutritious and affordable source of protein, but it has its restrictions.

Anaphylaxis: Hero teacher surprised with Allergy UK award after saving school boy’s life

Nut Allergy Death – Schoolboy with severe peanut allergy collapsed and died after eating sweet that had been handed out at religious festival – Aaron O’Farrell went into anaphylactic shock after he popped the Indian treat

August 2016

Why children’s allergies are on the rise and how dirt may hold key to reducing cases – Are we too clean for our own good? New studies, presented at the International Congress of Immunology in Melbourne this week, shed more light on the rising incidence of allergies in the developed world – “Professor Mark Larche of Canada’s McMaster University, who presented to the congress his study on a new vaccine against cat allergies, believes children are growing up in an environment that is too clean for their immune systems to properly learn which substances to attack and which to ignore.”

Comment: Are you kidding me?

Tucson school nurse saves student with peanut allergy

Greedy EpiPen makers have no idea how they affect families – “So when I hear how manufacturer Mylan sent the price of a standard two-pack of the allergy treatment soaring from $100 in 2007 to as much as $600 today, it makes me sick.”

How Parents Harnessed the Power of Social Media to Challenge EpiPen Prices

EpiPen Scandal: ‘One Death Is Too Many’ by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – “Two days ago, I put my son Conor on an airplane to Europe. Conor has anaphylactic peanut allergies so, before he left, we purchased a new EpiPen for the trip. We both got sticker shock.”

The Senator’s Daughter Who Raised Prices on the EpiPen – “Members of Congress are in an unusual position as they demand an explanation for Mylan NV’s 400 percent price hike for the EpiPen and focus attention squarely on its CEO: Heather Bresch.”

EpiPen Price Gouging Came As Mylan Pulled Off Tax Inversion – “Mylan Labs (MYL), the Pittsburgh-based pharmaceutical giant at the center of a major drug pricing storm over the EpiPen, managed to pull off a tax-ducking corporate inversion just a year and a half ago.”

This Woman Wants Congress to Look into EpiPen Price Hike – “[Robyn] O’Brien, known as the Erin Brockovich of food has been fighting against the EpiPen price increase for at least a year and describes Mylan’s actions as “abusive,” leaving parents unable to afford a life-saving device for their children.”

Has EpiPen Price Gouger Mylan Silenced Allergy Advocates? – “Are these allergy advocacy groups holding back criticism of Mylan’s unconscionable price hikes to protect a funding source? Only their leaders really know.”

Why the new EpiPen coupons are more about helping the company than helping you – “A 2011 white paper written by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association estimated that the consequences could be enormous — that discount programs could actually raise the cost of prescription drugs by $32 billion in one decade.”

Big Pharma’s dirty secret: EpiPen was developed entirely with taxpayer money – Just when you thought the EpiPen scandal couldn’t get any worse – “Sheldon Kaplan, who was an engineer for NASA before inventing the EpiPen, lived a humble, middle-class lifestyle. His surviving family members say he was never paid royalties for the device he invented, and never became famous for designing a product now used by millions.”

This EpiPen News Is Part of A Disturbing Trend – “Shockingly, many food allergic passengers are being ridiculed, spoken to rudely by the airline staff and most egregiously, sometimes asked to leave the airplane when disclosing a food allergy.”

Pharma CEO gave herself an $18 million raise after hiking EpiPen prices – “The pharmaceutical company that cornered the market on the life-saving EpiPen and dramatically increased its price also jacked up the pay of top executives.”

Senator seeks FTC investigation into EpiPen prices – “Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a ranking member of the Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee, wants the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the “enormous increase in the price of EpiPens,” following a number of recent media reports regarding the devices’ high cost.”

Boy testifies anaphylactic shock after green bean allergic reaction – “A teenage boy testified Monday that he experienced anaphylactic shock after juice from green beans seeped into a sandwich he ate at his school cafeteria in 2012, when he was 12 years old.”

Rising costs of food allergy drugs a cause for grave concern with families

Quebec waiter arrested after seafood puts allergic customer in coma – Police considering laying criminal negligence charge

A waiter’s mistake nearly kills a customer. Is that a crime? – Difficult to prove Sherbrooke waiter was criminally negligent for serving fish to allergic man, lawyer says – “Simon-Pierre Canuel says he was in a coma for several days and ‘almost died’ after being served salmon by a waiter who was aware of his allergy.”

Shell shock: why is a startup charging parents $180 for $2 worth of peanut butter? – Antera Therapeutics is a pricey way to introduce peanuts – “Antera Therapeutics is a Boston-based biomedical startup led by a former Pfizer biochemist, funded by Big Pharma alumni, and linked with Harvard’s iLab incubator, and it has the hallmarks of a sterling upstart. But its flagship product Aralyte, intended to help prevent peanut allergy, has dubious utility, medical experts warn, and could fleece parents out of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Aralyte is a kit of individual capsules filled with liquid peanut protein designed to be fed to infants on a strict schedule to prevent an allergy from developing. Its least expensive formulation is $180 for a three-month supply. Aralyte is the first in a line of what Antera Therapeutics plans to be numerous early introduction products to prevent allergies.”

July 2016

Mount Pearl teenager sent home from cadet camp because of food allergies – “[Faith-Ann] Warford had been enjoying the Argonaut Cadet Training Centre at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick for only a few days, when she was told she had to pack up and go home last week.”

‘It really sucked’: Food allergies send 2nd cadet packing – Dad says overreaction to ‘minor’ symptoms ruined camp experience for son – “Strong said his son’s allergies were discussed with the commanding officer at Greenwood. ‘He said ‘we have all kinds of cadets with food allergies. We can’t promise anything, because obviously this is a cafeteria, but we do this all the time.'”

Helensvale schoolboy Breyton Horomona ate calamari before having deadly allergic reaction “Breyton Horomona sat down to eat some calamari he had just cooked in his home economics class. A little more than 10 minutes later the Helensvale State High School student went into cardiac arrest from a severe allergic reaction. He died in hospital on Saturday after his life support system was turned off. The 15-year-old, who had no record of allergies, was talking with friends during the lunch break as he ate some of the food, before saying, ‘I think I’m allergic to this’ and stopping eating.”

High price of EpiPens spurs consumers, EMTs to resort to syringes for allergic reactions “Millions of people with severe allergies carry EpiPens to reverse life-threatening allergic reactions. But as the prices of these auto-injectors have soared, more than quintupling since 2004, many emergency medical responders — and some regular families — are turning to manual syringes as a cheaper alternative. That’s raising concern among some doctors and patient advocates, who warn that it’s more complicated to get the correct dose and administer it safely with a syringe.”

June 2016

Clothing store employee, 18, is FIRED after having an allergic reaction at work that left her 10 minutes from death

• Danielle Duperreault was working at an Urban Planet in Saskatoon, Canada
• Went into anaphylactic shock after accidentally eating a bell pepper
• A colleague took her to hospital where she was given quick treatment
• Doctors told her if she had waited 10 more minutes, she would have died
• As she waited in the ambulance, she got a text message from her boss
• It said that Duperreault would no longer be needed for shifts in the future
• The teenager says the company has apologized, but her boss hasn’t

Killed by a kiss: woman’s death prompts new concerns about severe peanut allergies – “A Sherbrooke mother hopes her daughter’s 2012 death will help send a clear message about severe allergies. Myriam Ducré-Lemay was 20 years old and hadn’t told her boyfriend she was severely allergic to peanuts. They kissed after he had eaten a peanut butter sandwich, and it proved fatal for the young woman.”

May 2016

Indian restaurant owner jailed for manslaughter over peanut allergy death – “Paul Wilson, 38, who was diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy as a child and knew the dangers of ingesting even the tiniest amount of peanuts, ordered a takeaway chicken masala from Mohammed Zaman’s North Yorkshire restaurant two years ago and specifically asked for no nuts. But the chicken marsala he was given was cooked with a groundnut mix containing peanuts. He went into anaphylactic shock and was found slumped in his bathroom that night. He died a short time later.”

Certain Vaccines Increase Food Allergen IgE: Susceptible Post-Millennials Reacting To Adjuvant Exposure, Researchers Suspect by Dawn Papple – “Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System’s Division of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology report that an era of food allergies that began with the post-millennial generation might be a response to vaccines containing the adjuvant alum, a known trigger for allergic traits.”

The fight for allergen awareness – “Sergio Lopez, 24, died from anaphylactic shock June 26, 2014 after eating at a now-shuttered restaurant called Tamal House, Vaca said. She explained that her son made the restaurant staff aware of his allergy, which he thought they heeded. Less than 15 minutes later, the music teacher’s face was flushed, his throat closed up and he died before he could make it to the hospital.”

April 2016

Vic teen’s allergy death avoidable: report – A Victorian go-karting organisation knew about a teenager’s nut allergy but failed to act before the 15-year-old unknowingly ate a macadamia cookie and died.

Anaphylaxis among children on the rise – “Anaphylaxis, known to be a sudden and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, seems to be increasing among children, according to a new study led by a team at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC). The findings, published this week in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI), reveal that the percentage of emergency department (ED) visits due to anaphylaxis doubled over a four-year period based on data collected from the Montreal Children’s Hospital of the MUHC (MCH-MUHC).”

Boy’s health was improving before he died, mom says – “About 10 to 15 per cent of children are diagnosed with asthma, but boys are more likely to have asthma than girls and native children are 40 per cent more likely than non-native children to have the respiratory condition that causes difficulty breathing, he said. … Along with having asthma, Javier was allergic to peanuts and egg whites.”

Student’s puffer had expired, coroner finds – “The coroner said that teachers and the principal at St. Elizabeth knew Avina carried an EpiPen because of his [peanut and egg] allergies but did not use it, not when he became ill in his Grade 5 classroom, not even after he collapsed in the office — a fact police and the school did not disclose last week. … Paramedics who arrived did use the EpiPen, he said. ‘It was used but maybe too late,’ McElligott said. ‘I will speak to teachers. When in doubt, give the EpiPen. You can’t do any harm and it may have saved his life.'”

Board, police say school responded properly to asthma attack that killed 10-year-old Javier Avina – “Javier Guadalupe Avina had his puffer with him in his Grade 5 classroom at St. Elizabeth Catholic elementary school when he started to struggle with asthma Tuesday, Dan Parr, the director of education for the St. Clair Catholic District school board, said Friday.”

Suicide in spring may be linked to seasonal allergies – “Some scientists believe the uptick in the spring may be explained by a possible link between springtime inflammation and depression.”

March 2016

[US] Government Denies Food Allergies As Vaccine Injury
Link to HHS Decision (pdf) here.

Petition to the Government of Canada – “Policy to Reduce the Risk for Anaphylactic Passengers” – For Canadian Citizens

Singapore Armed Forces Private died of allergic reaction to zinc chloride fumes from smoke grenades

A patient has ‘caught’ a kiwi fruit allergy from a bone marrow transplant – The first proof that the surgery can spread food allergies.

The Time I Almost Killed My Child – “It’s going to be a long time before I’m over this, if ever, really. I spent the next week feeling like I had post traumatic stress disorder and I was the one that caused the trauma.”

Israeli Military Will Stop Drafting Soldiers With Nut Allergies – “As Israel has a military policy of conscription, young recruits with severe allergies will be given a medical exemption that says they are not fit to serve and won’t be automatically drafted into the army. They will still be allowed to volunteer, and if they do will be stationed at units close to hospitals and where the dining facilities can cater for their dietary needs.”

Toddler left battling for life after potentially-deadly allergic reaction was mistaken for chicken pox

6 month old baby girl saved from anaphylactic shock – A 6 month old was saved from anaphylactic shock after vaccinating with Quivaxem – the South Korean made vaccine to prevent five common, potentially fatal childhood diseases.

‘I did everything that was expected of me’ – Grimsby mother shares story of vaccine injury – “‘Are they going to talk about adverse reactions and risks?,’ asked Thornhill. ‘Are they going to talk about what is in the vaccine? Are they going to tell us that vaccines can cause food allergies?'”

February 2016

Dr. Lawrence Palevsky comments in his February 2016 Newsletter about “the big elephant in the room. Vaccinations” and their connection to the epidemic of food allergy.
A Growing Epidemic: Food Allergies in America http://robynobrien.com/food-allergies-in-america/
“Dr Palevsky’s Comments: And, let’s not ignore the big elephant in the room. Vaccinations. The vitamin K shot contains castor seed oil, which has been found to cross react with other proteins in tree nuts, peanuts, and seeds. The vitamin K shot is also manufactured using egg lecithin as the phospholipid to make the injection. The tetanus shot contains casein. The flu, MMR, and Varicella are likely to also contain egg protein. The Prevnar-13 vaccine contains soy protein. And, several vaccines contain modified food starch. Who knows if this food starch is derived from corn, or even gluten? What are the most common food allergies from which children and adults are suffering today? Tree nuts, peanuts, seeds, dairy, egg, soy, corn, and gluten…….. Here’s the most basic principle in immunology. When a protein is injected into the body, like food proteins are injected into babies, children and adults every time they receive a vaccination, especially when they are bound to the adjuvant, aluminum, the body’s immune system will mount an immune reaction AGAINST the food proteins, priming the immune system to see the food proteins as foreign enemies. Once the body is re-exposed to any of these food proteins through the injection of the next vaccine, and/or through the ingestion in the diet, the immune system will mount a strong adverse reaction against the protein, causing what we know to be allergic symptoms. It’s that simple.”

Asian-born children protected against Melbourne food allergy effect, study shows – “‘The first thing we noted [in previous studies] was Australia has such high rates of food allergies … and the second thing we then noticed was that Asian [background] children have really high rates,’ Professor Katie Allen said. ‘This [latest] piece of information shows that if children were born in Asia and then moved to Australia they are protected against food allergy. ‘This is an incredibly exciting finding because it provides really solid evidence about the fact that there’s something in the environment that’s driving this allergic epidemic.'” [they seemingly did not compare vaccinations received by Asian born vs. Australian born]

January 2016

The day you died in my arms – Let’s Talk Mommy Blog – “I casually handed you one square to try and turned to put the peanut butter and jelly back in the fridge. You happily grabbed it from me and put it to your mouth. It took you a second to lick it and see what it tasted like. I waited for a smile to confirm it was your new favorite too.”

Allergic reaction to peanut residue kills 22-year-old Twin Cities man – “Days before, Bruce Kelly had eaten candy from the same container with no reaction, his mother said.”

Canadian teen to Prime Minister Trudeau: remove peanuts and tree nuts from airplanes

Petition – Petitioning Prime Minister of Canada/Premier Ministre du Canada Justin Trudeau The Removal Of Peanuts/Nuts from Airlines

December 2015

Delaying DTaP Vaccine Decreases Eczema In Children

Anaphylactic Food Allergy Is NOT Normal – Thinking Moms’ Revolution – “Being allergic to food is like being allergic to air or water. Making a person allergic to food is, in my opinion, a crime against humanity, against children. Because the people who are living with this extreme, insane condition are, for the most part, children. One in every 13 children.”

Father Accuses Israeli Army of Negligence After Son Dies of Allergic Reaction – New soldier Shalev Hazan was unaware that the granola he was served on his army base contained nuts. He was hospitalized in critical condition 10 days ago, but died late Saturday night.

County, state settle allergy death suit, to pay $660K – Judge tells family of girl who died: ‘I can’t even imagine’ – “Prior to approving the settlement last Friday, Chesterfield Circuit Court Judge Lynn S. Brice expressed sympathy to the parents of Amarria Johnson, a 7-year-old Hopkins Elementary student who died of a severe allergic reaction in January 2012 after eating a peanut given to her by a fellow student.”

Harvard group partners with Massachusetts family to prevent allergy deaths – “Abbie Benford’s life was cut short in 2013, when the 15-year-old died of anaphylaxis from her severe food allergy just eight days shy of her 16th birthday. The circumstances are ones Abbie’s parents never want another family to experience, and with the help of the Wyss Institute at Harvard, the KeepSmilin4Abbie Foundation is helping create a wearable device that can identify the signs of anaphylactic shock before it is too late.”

Frankston Hospital probes allergy related death of Louis Tate – “Simon and Gabrielle are still coming to terms with the sudden loss of Louis – a thriving, clever teen at Dromana Secondary College who had never had to use his EpiPen before and had well controlled asthma. While the couple have been told by Frankston Hospital staff that Louis suffered a reaction to the anaesthetic, they fear his breakfast contained foods or traces of foods he was allergic to, causing anaphylaxis.”

November 2015

Merck’s Peanut Oil Adjuvant by Marco Cáceres

Cure for peanut allergies being developed in Toronto – A cure would change the way Paul, Phoebe and their family live their lives. – “Researchers at SickKids believe a cure is possible. Their work has recently attracted $100,000 sponsorship from a company with a stake in the allergy problem: Kraft Peanut Butter. The centerpiece of their work involves research into the platelet-activating factor (PAF) by Dr. Eyal Grunebaum and Dr. Peter Vadas.”

Boy from East Grinstead dies after falling ill having eaten bowl of spaghetti – “Cameron Wahid is reported to have collapsed after eating the pasta meal at a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast. … The seven-year-old, who lived with parents Cassandra and Rizwan, and brother Aidan, is said to have gone into anaphylactic shock shortly after eating, and re-boarding the vehicle.”

Initial Confusion After Massive Allerject Recall – “Allerject users can exchange their device for an EpiPen at no cost.”

Coconut drink importer fined over labelling after child’s death

October 2015

Allergens in Vaccines Are Causing Life-Threatening Food Allergies – Children’s Medical Safety Research Institute (CMSRI) – “The question that few are asking is why life-threatening food allergies have become so alarmingly pervasive. A 2015 open access case report by Vinu Arumugham in the Journal of Developing Drugs, entitled “Evidence that Food Proteins in Vaccines Cause the Development of Food Allergies and Its Implications for Vaccine Policy,” persuasively argues that allergens in vaccines—and specifically food proteins—may be the elephant in the room.”

Why Do So Many Kids Have Food Allergies Now? By Taylor Hengen Newman – “In 1995, a taste of peanut butter sent Heather Fraser’s one-year-old son into anaphylactic shock. He was part of the ‘first wave’ of kids in what has become an epidemic—today 1 in every 13 kids has a life-threatening food allergy. With a background in historical research, Heather set out to investigate what’s behind this alarming trend, reading everything she could find: medical literature, textbooks, the history of anaphylaxis and allergy. She eventually found her answer – that ‘the history of vaccination had been bowdlerized,’ and in 2008 wrote a groundbreaking book, ‘The Peanut Allergy Epidemic.'”

Sanofi recalls all epinephrine injectors from Canadian, U.S. markets due to possible dosing error – ” The recall includes all Auvi-Q injections currently on the U.S. market, or roughly 490,000 packs of the devices, the company said in a press release. Most packs include two injectors. The company’s Canadian subsidiary, Sanofi-aventis Canada, announced it was recalling all Allerject products in Canada for the same reason.”

EpiPens Save Lives but Can Cut Like a Knife – “‘We were surprised by the severity of some of these injuries, including thigh lacerations and embedded needles,’ said lead study author Julie Brown, MDCM, MPH, of Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington in Seattle, Wash.”

North Carolina Teenager Dies from Food Allergy Reaction – “Morgan Elizabeth Crutchfield, 17, of Staley, N.C., died on Oct. 5, 2015, of an allergic reaction, according to an obituary on the local Liberty Newspaper website.”

September 2015

Chatfield High student dies after eating s’more containing peanut – Simon Katz had an allergic reaction and went into anaphylaxis shock – Denver Post

Multiple Canadian universities reviewing policies after student dies from allergic reaction

Canadian student dies after ordering smoothie on campus; suffers severe allergic reaction: family – “On that day, Andrea did something she never did, she was not carrying one of her two auto-injectors with her, according to her family, the injectors carry the drug epinephrine. ‘The doctors have said, even if she had both EpiPens with her, it was that severe, whatever it was that she had ingested… this was inevitable,’ said Valentin.”

First-year Canadian university student dies of severe allergic reaction – “Andrea Mariano had just started studying at Queen’s University in the Faculty of Arts and Science. The 18-year-old student from Thornhill, Ont., suffered an anaphylactic reaction and was rushed to Kingston General Hospital where she later died on Sept. 18.”

‘It was terrifying’: ER visits for anaphylaxis up 95% in 7 years – “Pauline Osena’s son Lucien was only five months old when he had his first life-threatening reaction. She was unaware her baby suffered from a food allergy. ‘You realize that you almost lost your son,’ Osena told Global News fighting back tears. ‘Thinking back on that day…it’s still really hard'”

Ending the Peanut Allergy Epidemic by Heather Fraser – “With an increase in number and potency of vaccines starting in the late 1980s, health officials in the U.S., Canada, and other western countries began to target children at two months of age. Coverage rates (the numbers of kids being vaccinated at birth, two months, four, six, twelve, eighteen months, etc.) quickly rose from about 65% with the old schedule to 95% by 2000 with the new schedule. The pairing of potent vaccines and high coverage rates launched the allergy epidemic in these countries. No one knew there was a problem until the affected children showed up for kindergarten in the early ’90s. Again, teachers recall the sudden surge of highly allergic children that caught schools off guard. And as the schedule expanded, so too did the allergy epidemic.”

Visits to the ED for anaphylaxis nearly doubled in 7 years – “September 10, 2015 — Data released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) shows that while the number of visits to Canadian emergency departments (EDs) for all allergic reactions (including anaphylaxis) remained stable from 2006–2007 to 2013–2014, the number of visits per 100,000i population specifically for anaphylaxis increased by 95%. In the same time frame, there was also a 64% rise in the rate of Canadians dispensed a prescription epinephrine auto-injector, according to CIHI’s National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System Database.”

School nurses more on guard as allergies, concussions rise – “The number of students with special health care needs has ‘increased dramatically’ over the past decade, as students are diagnosed with increasingly complex medical problems and need intricate medical equipment and ‘complicated treatments,’ according to the National Association of School Nurses.”

Pharma’s banking on your allergies – Watch for the sleight-of-hand by Alan Cassels – “Welcome to the crazy world of ‘emergency capitalism’ where a rare – but sometimes life threatening – condition is turned into a very lucrative market with the help of skilful fearmongering, the co-opting of patient groups and the buying of experts.”

August 2015

Schoolboy treated for asthma died of anaphylactic reaction prompts calls for allergy rethink

Life with a food allergy; any bite could be your last

Welcome to Food Allergy Canada: Anaphylaxis Canada announces name change and new website

New report explores the auto-injectors market that is estimated to expand at 18.6% CAGR from 2014 to 2020

Mylan Celebrates EpiPen4Schools® Third Anniversary, Program Extension Encourages Anaphylaxis Awareness and Preparedness This Back-to-School Season – More than 56,000 schools have participated nationwide

For a food writer, infant’s peanut allergy is particularly hard to swallow

CDC: Bees are the Deadliest Non-Human Animals in America

July 2015

‘I’m hungry all the time’: Teenage boy told he can never eat again after learning that he is allergic to ALL food – and just one bite can send him into anaphylactic shock – Alex Visker, 19, from Lehi, Utah, is allergic to the proteins in food and relies on a feeding tube and a high-protein formula to receive adequate nutrition – Even one bite of food will leave him with stomach pain, fatigue, hives, and extreme nausea and possibly put him in anaphylactic shock – The teen started to show symptoms when he started eating solid foods as a toddler – Alex’s medications cost $7,000 a month, so his family recently started a GoFundMe page to raise money for his education and medical expenses

How one startup plans to end the EpiPen monopoly

‘So what do I eat?’ – Niagara This Week – “Overwhelmed is how chef Breanne Mifflin felt after an adverse reaction to a flu shot left her allergic to many of her favourite foods. While the Grimsby woman had received the vaccination many times before, in 2011, she had a severe reaction. ‘My arm swelled right out, I felt sick, really sick for about a week,’ said Mifflin, who was working as a chef in a nursing home at the time. ‘I went home from work one day and made myself a peanut butter sandwich. I took a couple of bites, and almost instantly, my throat closed up.’ Mifflin had never reacted to peanuts, or any nut for that matter. She puffed on an inhaler, downed some Benadryl and her body calmed down enough to clear her airway. Her family doctor prescribed an epi pen and she was rushed to see an allergist the following day.”

June 2015

Health Canada issues recall for children’s anaphylaxis medication – A Health Canada statement says the Allerject defect “can pose serious health risks to patients.”

Anaphylactic reaction in kids could recur hours later, study finds – Parents, doctors should watch for delayed 2nd reaction, Ontario researchers say

How to predict biphasic allergic reactions in children – The CHEO Research Institute

May 2015

Tragic teen died from nut allergy after he forgot to carry EpiPen in his skinny jeans

Alberta patients put at risk by adrenalin injection mistakes, documents show – A dozen cases found where epinephrine wrongly administered through IV

Food Allergy Awareness Week: Allergic to Poison? – Thinking Moms’ Revolution

April 2015

Blood Transfusion Leaves Boy Allergic To Peanuts And Fish, Despite No History Of Allergies

Ontario law passes to let asthmatic kids carry inhalers in school – Ryan Gibbons died of an asthma attack at school in 2012

Pfizer wants Canadians to think EpiPen. What else but a hockey partnership?

Spring 2015 and earlier

2014 – Vaccines Do Not Cause Allergies – Dr. Offit Says So! Oh… Really??? – From VaxTruth.org

2014 – Teen is declared brain-dead after reaction to egg in food – “Distraught family says the first hospital they took the boy botched the treatment”