Lee County schools receive EpiPens for students’ severe allergic reactions

Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:

The School District of Lee County began distributing EpiPens to every one of its schools Monday to use in case of students’ severe allergic reactions.

According to Rob Spicker, spokesman for LCSD, the EpiPens were picked up at Golisano Children’s Hospital on Friday. A standing order from Lee Health allowing school clinics to provide epinephrine injections to students in case of severe allergic reactions allowed the district to secure EpiPens from the EpiPens 4 Schools program. Two sets have been given to each school. Elementary schools were given two child sets while middle and high schools were given two adult sets.

The project has been months in the making, Spicker says, and has the potential to save lives. Before the standing order, Lee County schools could not provide epinephrine to a student having an allergic reaction. Only students with prescriptions on file with the clinic and who had provided the epinephrine could receive an injection.

“Anytime that something would happen and a student would have an allergic reaction… we did not have this medicine on hand because we couldn’t give it to them because of the lack of an order,” said Wally Colon, assistant director of health services for LCSD. “Now, we have it and now we can act and potentially save their life during a severe allergic reaction.”

Students with known allergies who have a prescription on file and have already provided an EpiPen will continue to be treated in case of an emergency, per their doctors’ orders.

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.