Australia launches world’s first peanut allergy program for infants

Australia has launched the world’s first peanut allergy program which will provide free treatment to infants under 12 months in public hospitals.

Director of National Allergy Center of Excellence, Kirsten Perret says Australia is the allergy capital of the world as they have 5 million people with allergic diseases.

Perret says peanut allergy affects around 3 percent of 12-month-old children in Australia.

The Director says hundreds of babies are expected to be treated under this program in the first couple of years. Perret says the program's results will be evaluated by the only Allergy Center of Excellence in the hope of rolling it out to more hospitals and allergy clinics if it proves successful and may even be extended to older children, but for now, the focus is on babies.

She adds that many families are desperate to protect their children from allergic reactions as some are travelling from overseas for treatment at private clinics, so to have this program available and free at public hospitals will be a game-changer.