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Guest Blog by Iris Shamus, Founder and CEO of AllerMates

Did you know that physicians recommend two shots of epinephrine be carried at all times?

This is not because the pharmaceutical companies tell them to say that, but rather because two auto-injectors are truly a must-have for kids with food allergies and other severe allergies which could make the difference between life and death. In fact, a study done a few years ago found that of the 150-200 deaths caused by anaphylaxis each year, a delayed or inadequate dose of epinephrine is most often to blame! 

Before I get into why it’s important, let me introduce myself. My name is Iris Shamus, and I’m the founder of a company called AllerMates. More importantly, I’m the mother of a son with multiple, life threatening food allergies whose diagnosis inspired me to create our line of medical alert bracelets, charms, medicine cases and more. Our mission at AllerMates is to provide parents simple, friendly and reliable resources to help kids understand allergies and other health concerns, so naturally, epinephrine news is a hot topic of conversation within our team! 

If you’re wondering why two shot of epinephrine are needed for kids with food allergies, here are four situations to consider:

• Emergencies involving our children always cause panic, no matter how calm we try to be. Don’t find yourself in a situation where you miss your target (your child’s outer thigh) due to being nervous, and don’t have a backup injector. This is especially true if the allergic reaction happens when your child is in the care of someone else, like another family member or babysitter who may be less experienced with handling kids with food allergies.

The bottom line is that no one should find themselves in any of these situations without an extra dose of epinephrine, so be sure to have two in reach of your child at all times. It will provide the best line of defense in the event of a severe allergic reaction and help you protect your kid as best as you can before getting expert medical attention.

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