New Documentary Highlights the Importance of Research and Scientific Innovation

If you’re in the Washington, D.C. area, join us to attend the premiere of a documentary on the importance of research and scientific innovation. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with:

• Marilyn Ness, two-time Emmy winner and director
• Francis Collins, physician-geneticist, and former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Andrea Graham, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and immunology researcher
• Jacob George Solzbacher-Chen, endowed professor, and biomedical researcher

The Endless Frontier

Friday, June 12 at 5:30-7 p.m.

Burke Theatre at the United States Navy Memorial

701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20004

Use discount code for AAFA community: ENDLESSFRONTIER-TKT20 at the checkout link.

On May 28, 2026, of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and our division, Kids with Food Allergies (KFA), are holding a Remembrance Day in honor of family members and loved ones who’ve passed too soon from asthma or anaphylaxis. We also take time to remember other people who have needlessly been lost to preventable deaths.

On average, 9 to 11 people in the U.S. die from asthma each day.¹ A few hundred die each year because of serious allergic reactions, called anaphylaxis [anna-fih-LACK-sis].² Most of these deaths were preventable. We believe one life lost to asthma or anaphylaxis is one too many.

On this day, we reflect on our mission to save lives and reduce the burden of these diseases on individuals, families, and caregivers.

We dedicate May 28 as a time to celebrate and honor lives lost and to continue to make a difference in memory of the people who live in our hearts forever.

Watch on YouTube

Ways You Can Honor People Lost to Asthma and Anaphylaxis

At AAFA and KFA, we are blowing bubbles to remember lives lost. We encourage you to join us. Here are some ways you can pay your respects:

• Blow bubbles in memoriam: Share a photo on social media blowing bubbles or of a loved one using one of the hashtags #AsthmaAwareness, #AllergyAwareness, #FoodAllergyAwareness, or #RemembranceDay and tag AAFA or KFA.
  
  
• Write a poem, draw a picture, take a photograph of something your loved one would find beautiful, or sing a song. Post to social media using one of the hashtags #AsthmaAwareness, #AllergyAwareness, #FoodAllergyAwareness, or #RemembranceDay and tag AAFA or KFA.
  
  
• Share a memory of a loved one in the comments below or join our AAFA or KFA communities and share your memories on our forums.
  
  
• Send a card in the mail, make a phone call, or drop a text to friends or family to share support and fond memories.
  
  
• Make a donation to support AAFA’s work in memory of a loved one.
  
  

What AAFA and KFA Are Doing to Reduce Asthma and Anaphylaxis Deaths

AAFA and KFA work to fulfill our mission through several programs and initiatives. Your support makes these programs possible. Here are some of the ways we are working to reduce deaths from asthma and anaphylaxis:

• Advocacy – Support for public policies that will benefit people with asthma and allergies, like funding the National Asthma Control Program (NACP), expanding asthma treatment options, passing clean air programs, and epinephrine training in schools
  
  
• Community Health Interventions to Advance Self-Management of Asthma (CHI-ASMA) – A program backed by funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of the NACP to reduce asthma attacks, prevent emergencies and hospital visits, and save lives.
  
  
• Educational programs and resources – Evidence-based programs on asthma and food allergies for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals, including online courses, downloadable handouts, webinars, and continuing medical education (CME) programs
  
  
• Health Equity Advancement and Leadership (HEAL) program – Addresses health disparities in communities that bear the heaviest burden of asthma
  
  
• Research and reports – Patient-centered research that aims to enhance the understanding of asthma and allergic diseases and their impact
  
  
• Online communities for patients and caregivers – Forums where you can connect with other people who manage asthma, allergies, allergic skin conditions, and food allergies for information and moral support
  
  
• Black Women’s Asthma Alliance – An online support and educational group for Black women who live with asthma or are caregivers to people with asthma

In Memory Of

• Scotty, 20 (2022)
• Hezekiah (Hezzy) Addison, 7 (2024)
• Abbie Benford, 15 (2013)
• Miles Sebastian Bengco, 11 (2013)
• Daryl Benton, 35 (2023)
• Jason Berube, 51 (2024)
• Reverend Marvin Bradley
• Jeffrey Bui, 41 (2025)
• Anthony J. Chapman, 23 (2007)
• John Cincotta, 75 (2023)
• Giovanni Cipriano, 14 (2013)
• Keisha Clay, 34 (2019)
• Michael Clemente, 70 (2026)
• Jessica Jan Cochran, 29 (2023)
• Zaria La’Von Davis, 20 (2019)
• Oakley Debbs, 11 (2016)
• Zeynah Layali DeGroef, 9 (2023)
• Miranda DeOnofrio, 20 (2017)
• Alessandra Del Principe, 26 (2021)
• Austin Dodds, 16 (2016)
• Ethan Jerome Doyle, 32 (2026)
• Vincent Ferrara (2020)
• Robert Gardner (2021)
• Michael Gavazzi, 29 (2017)
• Natalie Georgi, 13
• Hannah Glass, 19 (2024)
• Donald Hargest, 76 (2024)
• Larry D. Hassell
• Devin Hladon, 18 (2022)
• Nafeesa Hugie, 7 (2025)
• Logan Jackson, 4 (2018)
• Justin Kendrick, 23 (2022)
• Zane King, 9 (2022)
• Jacqueline Kletsman, 20 (2026)
• Laura Levis, 34 (2016)
• Ahmad Malik, 56
• Michael Raymond Martinez Jr. 13, (2026)
• Jordan L. Mathews, 24 (2019)
• Delaney Ray McLaughlin, 16 (2023)
• Aja Giovanni McLeod, 22 (2019)
• Sarenytie Minor, 10 (2013)
• Alexis Miller (2023)
• Tsung Dai Mok (2026)
• Dillon Mueller, 18
• James Mumaw, 23 (2015)
• Patrick Neary, 33 (2023)
• Saffron Pamela Nelson, 4 (2023)
• Nicola Parrotta, 70 (2021)
• Brennan Nicole Passons, 11 (2011)
• Tiffany Phu, 13 (2014)
• Gary Pucket, 44 (2023)
• Joyce Richardson, 62 (2024)
• Ann Rinaldi, 62 (2023)
• Cole Schmidtknecht 22, (2024)
• Andrea May Sheets, 6 (2023)
• Joseph “Joey” Shepherd, 34 (2021)
• Elijah Silvera, 3 (2017)
• EJ Simbol (2023)
• Marisa Smock, 19 (2015)
• Keyshawn Tatum, 20 (2022)
• Michael “Mikey” Thomas (2021)
• Jaydra Tippetts, 23 (2023)
• Ricky Tran, 43 (2020)
• Amber Tringale, 48 (2018)
• Jennifer Turcotte, 18
• Jordan Vison, 30 (2020)
• Valerie Vison, (2024), AAFA Advocate
• Emily Vonder Meulen, 16 (2006)
• Kenneth Wardwell, 74 (2023)
• Kirk Williams, 28 (2020)
• Allison Nicole Wise, 23 (2024)
  
  
  

References
1. National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System: Mortality (2018-2024). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10-expanded.html
2. Jerschow, E., Lin, R. Y., Scaperotti, M. M., & McGinn, A. P. (2014). Fatal anaphylaxis in the United States 1999-2010: temporal patterns and demographic associations. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 134(6), 1318-1328.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2014.08.018

The health of Black men ranks the lowest of nearly every group in the United States.¹ Several major factors are involved – such as systemic racial inequities – and men also tend to be hesitant to seek medical care.

When it comes to asthma and allergies, Black men face some of the greatest impacts. In 2023, Black men had the highest rate of asthma deaths.²

Health inequities combined with personal experience led Chris Williams to found Heart, Body & Soul. This organization based in Brooklyn, New York, is dedicated to improving the health of communities of color, especially Black men and historically underserved communities.

Chris has had quite a health journey of his own. He not only has asthma and food allergies, but he has also survived 3 heart attacks and cancer.

“With those things happening in my life, and not to mention the asthma and allergies and all the different health challenges that I had faced, I decided to start an organization dedicated to really getting men, especially Black men, to open up and have more honest conversations about their health and work to improve their health outcomes,” Chris said. “Heart, Body and Soul was born out of a need to really find ways to uplift my community, find ways to get men to see more value in prioritizing their health, and sort of do away with the notion that they need to put everything on themselves.”

When Chris was a child growing up in Jamaica, he had what he later realized was an asthma attack. It was thought to be caused by stress. Chris didn’t have any more issues until he moved to New York at age 14. He had a few more attacks as a teen, but no one ever made the connection to asthma.

That all changed when Chris was in his 20s. On Sept. 11, 2001, Chris was in one of the World Trade Center buildings. He had evacuated the building and was on a nearby street when the building collapsed. Like many New Yorkers in that area on 9/11, Chris was covered with dust from building debris. A few months later, he was officially diagnosed with asthma and chronic sinusitis.

Years later, after managing asthma and allergies and recovering from heart attacks and cancer, Chris realized community was key to helping men learn self-care and health management.

“If we know better, we can do better. So I really think it's important – there's so much information at our fingertips already. Let’s start to get more in the habit of gathering this information and utilizing it in a way that we can improve our own health and well-being. And we don’t have to be dependent all the time but at least making sure that we have people in our lives that are aware of what’s happening. So when we do need to lean on them, they’re there for us and they can support us.”

With a renewed focus on his health, Chris was now determined to help other Black men along the way. Heart, Body & Soul, founded in 2022, holds events throughout the year focused on Black men’s health and wellness in Brooklyn. The Black Man’s Health Festival® is the organization’s main event, drawing more than 450 attendees and more than 30 partners in 2025. The event features 2 days of wellness activities, health screenings, music, food, and education. It’s free and open to the public. Ambassadors from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) will be at the 2026 festival to offer asthma screenings and education.

Community is powerful when it comes to improving health outcomes. That can be seen though the growth happening with Heart, Body & Soul. Chris sees the need to create community outside of Brooklyn too. Heart, Body & Soul hopes to expand to reach Black men in other communities in the U.S. to help them prioritize their health. He hopes other people learn how they can show up for Black men too.

“I think the way that people can show up to improve the asthma and allergy for Black men is to continue to educate themselves generally on asthma and allergies and what that means,” said Chris. “Because the reality of it is – I don't know the exact statistics – but I know everyone has been impacted some way somehow by something related to an allergy or asthma, whether it’s a relative or a direct relative of a parent or a child or a cousin or something of the sort. So it’s really important that we’re knowledgeable about what’s happening in our communities.”

Much more needs to be done to address the asthma and allergy health – as well as the general health – of men of color. Heart, Body & Soul is just a start. Chris is using community to create a movement fueled by his mission to “combine access, awareness, advocacy, and action through health, healing, and community connection.”

References
1. Gilbert KL, Ray R, Siddiqi A, Shetty S, Baker EA, Elder K, Griffith DM. Visible and Invisible Trends in Black Men's Health: Pitfalls and Promises for Addressing Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Inequities in Health. Annu Rev Public Health. 2016;37:295-311. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032315-021556. PMID: 26989830; PMCID: PMC6531286.
2. National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System: Mortality (2018-2023).S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10-expanded.html

On behalf of the more than 28 million people in the United States with asthma, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) along with patients, caregivers, and clinicians, took to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 5, 2026 – World Asthma Day. We joined together to ask Congress to take action on policies that will save and improve lives, including:

• Improved access to affordable health care and asthma and allergy treatments (including the Safe Step Act H.R. 5509 / S. 2903)
  
  
• Federal investment in asthma and allergy research
  
  
• Protection of asthma prevention programs (funding the National Asthma Control Program)
  
  
• Protection of children’s health programs (including the Children’s Health Protection Act H.R. 2339)

AAFA was joined by doctors and staff from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) during the meetings with congressional staff.

Over the course of the full day of advocacy meetings, the group met with representatives from 30 members of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

“AAFA advocacy gets results,” said Jenna Riemenschneider, AAFA’s Vice President of Policy and Advocacy. “When patients, caregivers, and allergists sit face to face with congressional staff, that level of in-person connection helps move policy. Last year, we saw Congress restore funding to the NACP as a direct result of our focused efforts. This year, we’re continuing to keep the pressure on to protect our community.”

Watch on YouTube

Saeeda Hugie was one of the advocates who joined us on Capitol Hill. She came to honor her daughter, Nafeesa, who died from an asthma attack at the age of 7.

“It’s important for Congress to know the impact of their policy decisions on people with asthma,” said Hugie. “I joined AAFA on World Asthma Day to raise awareness of this disease and to let Congress know asthma deaths are preventable – with access to the right support, education, and treatment. It’s how I’m honoring my daughter’s legacy.”

How many people do you know with asthma who also have seasonal allergies? What about food allergies or maybe eczema? If you or someone you know has more than one allergic condition, they may be connected by the same immune response.

A single overactive immune response, called type 2 inflammation, is the fuel behind many of these conditions.

Why does this matter? When you treat the underlying inflammation, you target the source of your symptoms. You can better control your conditions and improve your quality of life.

AAFA designates May 18–22, 2026, as Type 2 Inflammation (Allergic Conditions) Awareness Week. It is part of National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. To help the public learn more about type 2 inflammation, AAFA launched a new campaign: One Fire, Many Flames: The Immune Response Fueling Allergic Conditions.

The key messages of the campaign:

1. Allergic conditions are connected by a shared biological root. It is common for people to have more than one allergic condition.
   
   
2. The immune system’s alarm system can get stuck in the “on” position – driving chronic symptoms.
   
   
3. New treatments target the source of the fire (inflammation), not just the single flames (symptoms).
   
   
4. Knowledge is power. AAFA provides tools, guides, and decision aids to help you and your care team take the right next steps.

How Can I Learn More About Type 2 Inflammation?

These are some of the conditions that can be connected by type 2 inflammation:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Allergic rhinitis
• Eczema
• Food allergies
• Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE)
• Chronic hives
• Nasal polyps
  
  

🚨 New podcast alert with a special guest!

Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify

To learn more about the community of diseases driven by type 2 inflammation, visit our Type 2 Inflammation (Allergic Conditions) Awareness Week 2026 webpage.

Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month materials are developed independently by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Type 2 Inflammation Week is made possible in part by contributions from Sanofi and Regeneron. We thank them for their support to raise this visibility.

Pharmacal Issues Nationwide Recall of MG217 Multi-Symptom Treatment Cream & Skin Protectant Eczema Cream Due to Microbial Contamination

For Immediate Release

May 12, 2026

Contact Information

Pharmacal
800-558-6614
[email protected]

Company Announcement

May/8/2026- Jackson, WI, Pharmacal is recalling one lot of MG217 Multi-symptom Treatment Cream & Skin Protectant Eczema Cream, 6oz tube to the consumer level. The product has been found to be contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus.

Risk Statement: Use of the product could result in a range of infections from localized to severe or life-threatening adverse events. Patients with weakened immune systems or compromised skin — such as those with wounds, burns, or skin disorders — are at increased risk for serious infections, including skin and skin structure infections, infective endocarditis (infection of the heart valves), bone and joint infections, bloodstream infections, and life-threatening conditions like sepsis and septic shock. To date, Pharmacal has not received any reports of adverse events related to this recall.

The product is used as a topical cream and comes in a 6oz tube with product code 5106 and UPC 012277051067.

The affected MG217 Multi-symptom Treatment Cream & Skin Protectant Eczema Cream is lot 1024088 with expiration date of November 2026. The product can be identified by locating the lot number in the crimped end of the tube. MG217 Multi-symptom Treatment Cream & Skin Protectant Eczema Cream was distributed Nationwide to wholesale, retail (HE BUTT Grocery), and internet distributors (Amazon).

Pharmacal is notifying its distributors via an emailed letter and is arranging for return of all recalled products. Consumers that have product which is being recalled should stop using and discard the product.

Consumers with questions regarding this recall can contact Pharmacal by 800-558-6614 or email [email protected] Monday through Friday from 8am -5pm central time. Consumers should contact their physician or healthcare provider if they have experienced any problems that may be related to using this product.

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail or by fax.

Complete and submit the report online: www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm
Regular mail or fax: download form www.fda.gov/medwatch/getforms.htm or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the preaddressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.