JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Starting this school year, Jacksonville parents are sending their students back to school with a new medication to replace their EpiPen.
“When we administered Neffy, it was life changing,” said Nathaniel and Elani Wiest, local parents of an 8-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter, both of whom are prone to severe allergies.
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The Wiest family tells Action News Jax they first got Neffy, a nasal spray treatment for severe allergies, after it was approved by the FDA last year. They said the first time they actually used it was in June, after their son was served the wrong type of tortilla at a restaurant.
“He started developing lip swelling, tongue swelling, scratchiness of his throat, obvious signs of swelling,” Nathaniel Wiest said.
The Wiests said Neffy not only saved their son’s life at the restaurant, but it’s been a better option for treating his severe allergies because he’s afraid of needles. The family is now planning on sending him back to school this year with the nasal spray in place of his EpiPen.
The CDC says about two students in every classroom in the U.S. are prone to severe allergies. The Asthma and Allergy Network says close to half of all severe allergy episodes not only happen among high school students, but also in the classroom.
Action News Jax’s Finn Carlin asked an expert how the Neffy spray matches up to the EpiPen in treating these cases.
“It’s been out for a year and they’re gathering more and more information,” Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo said, an allergist based in Miami. “I think as we gather, more information will be able to answer that question.”
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Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo believes both options are effective in treating severe allergies, but parents will need to decide what they are most comfortable with for their kids as they go back to school.
This comes not long after the passing of a Florida law saying all K-8 schools will need to have enough staff trained in responding to life-threatening allergic reactions and administering the proper medication.
The Wiest family hopes the law will, eventually, apply to all Florida schools, but wants parents to make sure they know all of their options for treating their kids.
“Us as a family, we feel comfortable. The allergists we know generally feel comfortable that this is a safe and effective way of delivering epinephrine,” Nathaniel Wiest said.
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