Yesterday, Mylan Specialty, the makers of life saving EpiPen®, launched a new campaign, Ready2Go™ aimed at increasing anaphylaxis awareness. What makes this campaign unique and interesting is that pro football player, Adrian Peterson is drafting three MVPs, under the age of 18, to join his Ready2Go™ team. Yes! A contest (draft) for our kids to enter to join the team. The winners will be invited to film, with Adrian Peterson, a Ready2Go™ educational video! Details on how to enter below. The Ready2Go™ campaign is aimed at teaching those at risk for anaphylaxis to step up their game and learn to be aware and prepared for an anaphylactic reaction. A recent survey was part inspiration in the creation of this program. The results were very eye opening to me.
Disclaimer: I was honored to participate in a webinar last night presenting this campaign to bloggers. We were not paid or asked to write lovely things about this campaign and draft. I’m pleased to share this information and plan on making a video of my daughter. I need to see if the teen is “too cool” or not to enter.
Striking highlights from the recent survey:
- 58% of parents expressed that are not at all or somewhat knowledgeable about anaphylaxis. Ouch! That number should be 100%.
- 70% of parents think they can use their child’s past allergic reactions to predict how severe future reactions may be. Uh-oh! We all know that even an allergist can’t predict a reaction!
- 50% of parents are concerned that they would not know what to do if their child experienced anaphylaxis. This is BIG and concerning.
- 52% of parents said they would first administer an epinephrine auto-injector if they knew their child was experiencing anaphylaxis. So…what about the other 48%? Hum…
The programs emphasizes a few educational pieces based on an anaphylaxis action plan. Saving lives, raising awareness and being prepared seems to be the theme of the new campaign.
- Avoid Allergic Triggers
- Recognize the signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction
- Have access to two EpiPens®
- Get immediate medical attention during a possible anaphylactic reaction
My daughter always carries two EpiPens®in her Epi Essentials Grab and Go Case
Mylan Speciality has made it painfully easy and fun to enter the draft:
- Visit the Ready2Go™ Draft website
- Record, using your smart phone, a 30 second video of your child naming their allergy and then providing one tip from an anaphylaxis action plan (hint, see the bullet points above)
- Open or close the video with this statement: I am (first name) and I’m Ready to Go!
- Don’t mention the name of any specific type of epinephrine auto-injector–your video may not contain the name in audio or visually.
Visit the Ready2Go™ website for the specific details and the draft is for three age groups: ages 5-9, 10-13 and 14-18. Thinking back a mere five years ago, I realized we’ve come a long way in regards to increased awareness and information. I’m just thrilled to see the EpiPen® website bursting with information, videos and real life information and solutions.
Good luck food allergy friends! I hope everyone enters their child into the draft, records a great video and help spread more life saving anaphylaxis information. Please share this new website and draft with others.
One of the hardest things I find about managing both life threatening food allergies and asthma is talking to others. I hate to be the one that might be perceived as demanding, pushing or for asking too much. What I now know, fourteen years later, is that honest, clear information presented with kindness works!..
Caroline! These anaphylaxis awareness stats scare me! But, on the other hand…it validates the reasons to continue “campaigning” for allergy awareness with parents and teens, and in schools and camps too.
Thank you also for sharing Epi-Essentials Grab & Go Handbag. As you know, we designed this specifically to encourage our teens (our highest risk group for anaphylaxis), to keep 2 epinephrine injectors always on hand.
Dana,
I was really sad to read those stats. It truly shows how much education we need within our own food allergy community. Leila just loves that bag! I think it is the best food allergy grad gift out there. Now I just need to find a graduating food allergic teen!