Off to Camp with Food Allergies: Don't Forget the Emergency Action Plan

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You’ve done your research and found a great day or overnight camp for your child. Maybe they explicitly ban your child’s allergens or maybe you are satisfied with their policies and accommodations… great job!

Do they require an emergency action plan should the unthinkable happen and your child suffers a reaction? Regardless of the answer, it’s important to submit one to the appropriate camp authority.

The plan relays specific instructions from your child’s physician regarding how to identify the symptoms of a reaction and provides steps to follow should the reaction appear to be minor or full-blown anaphylaxis. Questions like: ‘When should antihistamines be administered?’, ‘Inhaler?’, ‘Epinephrine?’, ‘What dosage?’ are all explained in clear, unambiguous language.

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Best of all, there are templates available for your child’s doctor to fill out to ensure that all the necessary details are specified. Here are the three most common:

Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan
by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE)

Click to download template from FARE

Allergy Anaphylaxis and Emergency Plan
by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Click to download template from AAP

Anaphylaxis Emergency Action Plan
by American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI)

Click to download template from AAAAI

Check with your child’s physician who may prefer a specific form, then click the image to download that form and submit it to the physician to be completed.

Provide a copy to the camp administration and make sure the details are shared with each staff member who will be responsible for your child.

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Dave Bloom
Dave Bloom
Dave Bloom is CEO and "Blogger in Chief" of SnackSafely.com.

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