I think this touches on a real problem.A lot of people assume that teachers will give the shot, and almost everyone thinks that ambulance workers will give the shot when they arrive. This is not always the case.

I’m an EMT and when my beautiful baby girl was diagnosed with CAH 4 months ago I started asking around our local EMS systems to see if they would give a SoluCortef shot. They will not in general because they don’t have a protocol for that medication, but if they have direct orders from a doctor then they will.

The upshot is that I wrote a letter explaining to caregivers that if they are unwilling to give the shot themselves, then what they should do is call 911 on one phone and get the doctor on another phone and when the EMT’s get there, hand them the phone with the doctor on the other end so that the doctor can order the EMT’s to give the shot.A written letter from the doctor may have the same effect, but I encourage you to ask around your local EMS systems to see.

Our system works for us - as far as we know, it’s untested - because the doctor’s office phone is 24/7 and the local ambulance service provides an EMT-Paramedic who can give IM injections. If your doctor’s office is not open, or your ambulance system only runs with EMT-Basic (there are different levels of EMT, and you need an EMT-Paramedic to give the shot) then it will not work.

Also, we provide the SoluCortef, we don’t assume the ambulance will carry it. Many do not.

This approach means that you will get billed for an ambulance trip so check where you are with that re your insurance if you follow this route.

I hope that helps. As I said it’s amazing who will _not_ give the shot. I know a lot of our paramedics with the local ambulance provider, and I thought they would give the shot. I was surprised by what I found out!

Niles.