WestJet has announced that it will equip all of its aircraft with EpiPen Auto-Injectors for the emergency treatment of severe allergic reactions. The medical tools will be added to the first aid kits throughout the WestJet fleet by early 2011.
According to V.P. People Relations and Culture Tyson Matheson, the airline's aircraft currently carry syringes and vials of epinephrine. But he says the Epi-Pen offers the enhanced safety feature of needle protection before and after use.
"The new EpiPen is designed for simplicity in an anaphylactic crisis, and we are pleased to have it available on all WestJet flights," said Matheson. "We obviously take the welfare and health of all WestJet guests very seriously and believe this initiative will offer peace of mind for our guests at risk of anaphylaxis."
Travellers at risk of severe allergic reactions are ultimately responsible for taking all necessary precautions including carrying their own epinephrine auto-injector(s), and most of them do. However, WestJet says it stocks anti-allergy medication “to accommodate these guests while maintaining a balanced experience for all other guests.”
