Guidance for Primary Schools

Anyone prescribed adrenaline must have immediate access to two of their own prescribed adrenaline auto-injectors.  Ideally schools will hold generic or spare adrenaline auto-injectors.

Regulation 238 of the Human Medicines Regulations 2012 allows for adrenaline to be administered by anyone for the purpose of saving a life in an emergency.

Milk allergy can cause serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Special care and vigilance are needed. Even a splash of milk or yogurt may cause a skin reaction in a child with milk allergy. Spillages need to be wiped thoroughly and hands washed. If a child with a milk allergy has a milk substitute (such as a soya drink) there needs to be a robust system for ensuring that the child is not given the wrong drink by mistake. For further information about cow’s milk allergy, read our factsheet.

From 2017, all schools and local authority maintained nurseries in the UK can purchase spare adrenaline auto-injectors for emergency use. Spare adrenaline auto-injectors are primarily for pupils known to be at risk of anaphylaxis and for who both medical authorisation and written parental consent for use of the spare auto-injector has been provided. The school’s spare auto-injector can be administered to a pupil whose own prescribed device cannot be administered correctly without delay.

A schools’ spare adrenaline auto-injector can also be used for any pupils or other person not known by the school to be at risk of anaphylaxis in an emergency. Written permission is not required in these exceptional circumstances where the reaction could not have been foreseen.

Further information on the use of spare adrenaline auto-injectors can be found in this Clarification of adrenaline autoinjector guidance for schools

Commercially produced playdough can contain allergens, such as wheat. Find out the ingredients from the manufacturer. You can make your own play dough using cornflour, baking soda, water, bottled vegetable oil and food colouring. Make sure you don’t have a child who reacts to any of these ingredients.

Some cosmetics contain food ingredients, for example, some creams contain nut oils. It’s difficult to determine the level of risk posed by cosmetic products containing food ingredients, however, unless the allergic child accidentally ingests the cream it’s likely to be very low. Anaphylaxis from skin contact with the product alone is extremely unlikely, however, contact reactions such as a skin rash/hives could occur. Nut oils are made from the fats of the nut, so likely have very little amounts of nut protein in, reducing the risks further as the proteins cause allergic reactions.

Further information about food ingredients in cosmetics can be found in our factsheet.

Kissing can be risky if someone eats a food that the other person is allergic to. Allergens can remain in saliva for several hours – anywhere between 2 and 24 hours, and even brushing teeth may not get rid of them effectively. If, for example, a child eats something then kisses a child allergic to that food on the cheek, this is unlikely to cause anaphylaxis, but a contact reaction such as a skin rash/hives could occur.

Generally speaking, watching chicks hatch in an incubator poses no risk to children with egg allergy, but all children should be encouraged to wash their hands after touching the incubation box in case there is any residual egg content on it. There is a little more risk when it comes to children handling the chicks. Speak with the parent/carer about the activity – they may want to ask their child’s allergy specialist, who is best placed to answer a question about an individual child and their sensitivity.