Disney parks aim to improve treatment access for serious allergic reaction

The Walt Disney Company has introduced a new initiative to help raise awareness about a severe, life-threatening allergen.

The company’s cruise line, parks and resorts are providing updated maps and signage at parks and on ships to highlight the locations of auto-injectors, which contain epinephrine, the first-line treatment for life-threatening allergic reactions.

Anaphylaxis is the allergy at hand— the whole-body reaction can strike at any time after exposure to an allergen such as drugs, food or insects.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), symptoms of anaphylaxis can exhibit within seconds or minutes after exposure. They include abdominal pain, anxiety, diarrhea, palpitations and unconsciousness.

Disney is collaborating with Mylan, marketer and distributor of EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. Auto-Injectors, to prepare its attractions for potential allergy cases.

The parks and cruise ships will also introduce educational resources designed to increase awareness of and preparedness for severe allergic reactions.

In a press release, the company noted that the allergy resources at its attractions are not intended to replace individual emergency treatment.

Disney advised families who are managing known severe allergies to follow their individual anaphylaxis action plan. That plan includes avoiding known allergens, recognizing the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, having access to two epinephrine auto-injectors at all times, and seeking immediate emergency medical care should anaphylaxis occur.