A Derby primary school has installed an emergency allergy protection kit to support pupils and staff.
The kit, produced by Kitt Medical, contains two junior adrenaline pens – EpiPens – and two adult EpiPens and has been installed at St Alban’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Chaddesden.
All staff have been trained on how to use the kit. Three members of staff at St Alban’s have a severe allergy, including Headteacher Tim Brogan who is allergic to nuts.
He said: “Twenty per cent of our staff body have an allergy and we have a number of pupils with allergies. They have their own EpiPens and care plans in school so the kit is designed to be a failsafe. We do have a number of events that parents attend and visitors who come into school and obviously we don’t know whether they have allergies or not. So it’s about the allergies which are known and those that are unknown and this kit will allow us to respond at pace if we need to.
“We’ve installed it close to our school hall where children eat their dinner. Setting up the kit and the training, which is online, has been really simple. All of our staff have been trained to use the kit, we know that every member of staff can support if required. I can see these kits becoming like defibrillators.”
St Alban’s will receive a yearly supply of adrenaline pens to be stored in the accessible wall mounted emergency ‘Kitt’. All staff also get access to Kitt’s online CPD accredited training course, to help increase awareness of allergic conditions and preparedness to treat anaphylaxis.
Since launching in January 2023, Kitt Medical has partnered with 550 schools, with 700 Kitts in schools, and 15,000 staff members trained.
Zak Marks, co-founder and CEO of Kitt Medical, said: “I’ve lived with severe allergies for as long as I can remember and have always found it to be a burden. Whether it’s not knowing where/what I can eat, being scared I could have an allergic reaction, or just always having to carry two adrenaline pens on me at all times, it unfortunately creates a daily inconvenience – one which I wanted to try and solve. I’m so excited that we’re now creating a new standard for allergy care with schools and academies across the UK.”
Anaphlaxis is a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes after exposure to an allergen, such as certain foods or insect stings. During anaphylaxis, the immune system releases chemicals that can cause the body to go into shock, leading to symptoms like swelling, hives, and difficulty breathing. Immediate treatment with an epinephrine injector is crucial.
EpiPens work by rapidly injecting a dose of epipinephrine (also called adrenaline), which reverses the effects of anaphylaxis.
Headteacher Tim Brogan with pupils, showing them the emergency allergy protection kit that has been installed at St Alban’s.
