"Modern Family" Star Julie Bowen Calls on Communities to Raise Their Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness in Nationwide Competition

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., May 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of the national Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™ initiative, Emmy^®-award winning actress Julie Bowen today kicked off Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness™, a community-driven competition designed to bring attention to the issue of life-threatening allergic reactions, or anaphylaxis. Sponsored by Mylan Specialty L.P., Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness is a unique competition created to raise awareness of and preparedness for severe or life-threatening allergies, by rallying people to virtually "raise their hand" for their school district to be counted as one committed to anaphylaxis awareness. Mylan Specialty will award the four school districts with the most hands raised grants of $15,000 to support educational programs, including anaphylaxis-related activities.

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Bowen is calling on individuals from coast-to-coast to visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com to share their personal stories about why anaphylaxis awareness is important to them. Throughout the four-month competition, individuals can visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com to track how their community is doing compared with others across the country, find tools to help motivate others to join them in supporting their school district and access resources to educate themselves and others about this important issue.

"Since I joined the Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis campaign and started sharing my experience of raising a child with life-threatening allergies, so many people have in turn shared their personal stories with me. It's been a real eye-opener to realize how many parents, like me, didn't know their child had life-threatening allergies until anaphylaxis occurred," said Bowen, who learned that her son is allergic to walnuts, peanuts and bee stings after he experienced a life-threatening allergic reaction as a toddler. "This competition is an opportunity for people to share their experiences and create a groundswell of support for improved anaphylaxis awareness and preparedness in schools. That's why I'm raising my hand and asking others to join me in spreading the word. It's our stories that will motivate others to be more knowledgeable about anaphylaxis."

Mylan Specialty first launched Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis in September 2012 in recognition of the fact that anaphylaxis is a serious health issue, especially in our nation's schools. Food allergies – a common cause of anaphylaxis – are on the rise, especially in children; therefore making awareness in the school setting critical. An estimated one in 13 children in the United States suffers from a food allergy. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the incidence of food allergy increased 18% from 1997 to 2007. 

The Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness competition will be featured at a series of local events and community outreach efforts to reinforce the importance of recognizing the symptoms of anaphylaxis and empowering people to respond when they witness a life-threatening allergic reaction. Those at risk of a life-threatening allergic reaction should avoid allergens at all times and have two epinephrine auto-injectors readily available to use because accidental allergen exposure can occur without warning.

"Many children experience anaphylaxis for the first time at school, so it is important for everyone in the school community to know how to recognize anaphylaxis signs and symptoms, be prepared to use an epinephrine auto-injector and seek immediate medical care if it occurs," said Hemant Sharma, M.D., associate chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. "Anaphylaxis can occur quickly, making fast action and response critical. The Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness competition is an easy way to help promote anaphylaxis education in school communities across the country so people are prepared to respond."

How to Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness™

Raising Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness is as easy as going to www.Anaphylaxis101.com and following these simple steps:

1. Raise Your Hand: Sign in to show support for your school district. Once signed in, you can select your school district from a drop down menu or type in the name of your school district to search for it. All public school districts in the United States are eligible. When selecting the school district you are raising your hand for, you also can share your personal reason explaining why you raised your hand. The four school districts with the most hands raised at the end of the competition will each win a $15,000 grant.
2. Spread the Word: Once you've raised your hand, let others in your school community know about the competition and why you decided to Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness by emailing, sharing on Facebook and tweeting. In addition, visit the Anaphylaxis101 Resource Library or take a Guided Tour to download resources, customized school forms, checklists and other materials tailored to your specific needs.
3. Come Back Often: Increase your school district's chance of winning by raising your hand once a day. By registering on the website, you will receive campaign updates and details on special "bonus days" when each hand raised will be worth more. A real-time, online leaderboard will show the number of hands raised for each school district. 

The competition is open from May 21, 2013 through October 1, 2013 for individuals aged 13 and older. For complete competition rules, please visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com.

About Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™
The Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis initiative was created to help everyone in the school setting be prepared to respond when a life-threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) occurs. Because anaphylaxis can happen anywhere and at any time, everyone responsible for a child – including parents, school staff, family and friends – should be aware of the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction, help those at risk to avoid allergens at all times and be prepared to use an epinephrine auto-injector and seek immediate medical care if anaphylaxis occurs. Visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com to learn more about life-threatening allergies and if you or someone you care for is at risk for anaphylaxis. You can download practical materials like posters, lesson plans and tip sheets and access information from leading patient, professional and advocacy organizations that are all united in the common goal of improving anaphylaxis education. You can also learn about Julie Bowen's family story, and sign up to receive news about activities and events. Follow the Twitter handle @Anaphylaxis101 to get the latest news about the initiative.

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis: The Interactive Experience is traveling the country. Visit www.Anaphylaxis101.com to see if it's coming to a neighborhood near you.

About Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur when the body is exposed to an allergen and can occur anywhere and at any time. Anaphylaxis causes an estimated 1,500 deaths each year. The prevalence of food allergies among children is on the rise, now affecting approximately one in 13 U.S. children. Children and adolescents are among those most at risk for anaphylaxis due to increased exposure to potential allergic triggers. Symptoms of anaphylaxis can vary from person to person and each time it occurs. Symptoms may include trouble breathing, chest pain, skin hives or redness of the skin, tightness in the throat, swelling of the lips and/or tongue, nausea, dizziness, a decrease in blood pressure and/or fainting. Allergic reactions are unpredictable – a mild reaction to an allergen one time can be more severe and even life-threatening the next.

Food allergy guidelines developed by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), recommend epinephrine as the only first-line treatment for anaphylaxis management and that it be available at all times to those at risk for anaphylaxis. If experiencing anaphylaxis, a person should use an epinephrine auto-injector and seek immediate emergency medical attention. Failure to administer epinephrine early in the course of treatment has been repeatedly implicated in anaphylaxis fatalities.

About Mylan Specialty
Mylan Specialty, a subsidiary of Mylan Inc. (Nasdaq: MYL), is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development, manufacturing and marketing of prescription drug products for the treatment of respiratory diseases, life-threatening allergic reactions and psychiatric disorders. For more information, please visit www.mylanspecialty.com.

About Mylan
Mylan is a global pharmaceutical company committed to setting new standards in health care. Working together around the world to provide 7 billion people access to high quality medicine, we innovate to satisfy unmet needs; make reliability and service a habit; do what's right, not what's easy; and impact the future through passionate global leadership. We offer a growing portfolio of approximately 1,100 generic pharmaceuticals and several brand medications. In addition, we offer a wide range of antiretroviral therapies, upon which approximately 40% of HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries depend. We also operate one of the largest active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers and currently market products in approximately 140 countries and territories. Our workforce of more than 20,000 people is dedicated to improving the customer experience and increasing pharmaceutical access to consumers around the world. But don't take our word for it. See for yourself. See inside. mylan.com

Get Schooled in Anaphylaxis™ and the Raise Your Hand for Anaphylaxis Awareness™ campaign are sponsored by and trademarks of Mylan Specialty L.P. © 2013. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. PAC13-0010

SOURCE Mylan, Inc.