EpiPen Shortage Keeping Some Kids Out Of School
WASHINGTON (CBSNEWS.COM) - Eden Morris should be in kindergarten with his friends but the 5-year-old has been home since the school year started. Eden has severe allergies so Spanaway Elementary, about 35 miles south of Seattle, won't let him go to school without an EpiPen.
The U.S. is experiencing a shortage of the lifesaving device and parents are scrambling to find them because some schools won't let kids with allergies in the classroom if they don't have one. This affects as many as two students in every classroom in the U.S.
"There's nothing else that made me feel worse than my son telling me, 'Mom, why can't I go to school? Why am I different from other kids?'" Eden's mom, Chiquita, told CBS News.
Morris says she tried for a year to get the medication. First, her insurance company refused to cover the $700 charge. Then, because of the shortage, she couldn't even get it.
"I called my pharmacy, and they were like, 'Oh no, we're not gonna have any,'" Morris said.
She says the school didn't notify her that an EpiPen was required until the first day of school when Eden was pulled out.
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