Health News

JOHN XXIII DAY FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS

If your child has a food allergy, please remind him/her to be very careful when choosing food on John XXIII Day next Friday 14 August. If your child is unsure of what ingredients are in a food, please remind them not to eat it. If your child has a prescribed Epipen, it is advised they carry this on them.

Allergy Awareness
The College has several students who have severe allergic reaction to nuts and other allergens. This reaction is called Anaphylaxis. It is a severe, rapidly progressive allergic reaction that is potentially life threatening and requires urgent treatment. The College has Anaphylaxis Guidelines which outlines several strategies to help prevent a severe allergic reaction.

Our school does its best to be an "Allergy Aware" school. The College can never totally eliminate the risk of an anaphylaxis and we cannot guarantee a totally allergen free environment. The key to prevention of anaphylaxis in schools is knowledge of the student who has been diagnosed as at risk, awareness of allergens, prevention and avoidance of exposure to those allergens and action in the case of a reaction.

As a preventative measure could we please ask you to consider the students in our College who are at risk of anaphylaxis by:

  • Avoid sending food to school which has nuts or nut products in.
  • Teach your child to respect children who have food allergies.
  • Teach your child not to share food, drink, food utensils or containers with anyone.
  • Encourage your child to wash their hands before and after eating.
  • Ask your child to get help immediately if their allergic schoolmate becomes unwell.

If your child has a severe Food Allergy:

  • Teach your child not to share food, drink, food utensils or containers.
  • Teach your child to wash hands before and after eating.
  • Food for your child should be supplied from home
  • When a child with a food allergy in primary school has a lunch order could parents ensure their food allergy is stated when ordering.
  • Parents are advised that your child should carry their Epipen (adrenaline auto injector) on them when age appropriate to do so.
  • It is recommended that students with severe food allergies wear a medic alert bracelet/necklet.
  • Educate and empower your child to manage his/her allergy and to get help immediately if feeling unwell.
  • For more information on allergies go to: www.allergy.org.au and www.allergyfacts.org.au

Thank you

Jenny Hill
College Nurse