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On Dec. 16, 2019, Congress released a spending package to keep the government funded for 2020. This plan includes two big wins for food allergy research.

  1. Food allergies have been added to the list of eligible conditions that can be studied under the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).

    The PRMRP is a program that has supported medical research for the past 20 years. It benefits both military personnel and civilians. An extra $10 million will be set aside for the program this year. Food allergy researchers will be able to apply for grants from the PRMRP to better understand and possibly treat food allergies.

  2. Congress increased the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases’ (NIAID) budget by $362 million. They directed “further investment” in the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR). This should directly impact how the National Institute of Health (NIH) assigns the new funding, again increasing food allergy research and potential breakthroughs.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and other groups advocated for these food allergy appropriations earlier this year. Appropriations are acts or laws that decide how money in the U.S. Treasury will be spent. We are thrilled to see them included in this spending package. (Kids With Food Allergies is a division of AAFA.)

We also want to thank Representative Ro Khanna (CA-17) for being an advocate and playing a key part in these victories for the food allergy community.

The House has passed the package, and the Senate is expected to pass it this week. The President is expected to sign it into law on Dec. 20, 2019.

Help support KFA's efforts to advocate for families managing food allergies. KFA is here to help families manage their fears and move to a place of confidence. Your gift helps us support families through our food allergy education programs, research, advocacy and community outreach.

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This is a happy new year gift, indeed!  Thank you for sharing this great news.

For the military mention, I often wonder whether my child's mustard allergy is related to the mustard gas my father was exposed to in Vietnam (Agent Orange exfoliant). 

I am hopeful some smart researcher takes an interest in toxicological impacts of the chemical exposures our military heroes get exposed to.  Along with whether the exposures relate to food allergies in either them, their children and grandchildren.  

Or environmental toxicology relating to food products that our trade partners introduce cheaply into our economy (ex. is canola oil) that get widespread use without time to truly test health impacts.

May talent in these research areas be greatly empowered to study our complicated needs and be able to make a good living for themselves, all for the greater good!

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