The first batch of baby formula from Europe will arrive in Indianapolis, Indiana, this Sunday aboard a military aircraft, to alleviate the severe shortage that is affecting thousands of families in the United States, the White House announced.
The Government of Joe Biden specified on Friday that 132 pallets of
Nestlé Health Science milk formula, Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior
will depart from the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Sunday (from Switzerland).
Another 114 pallets of
Gerber Good Start Extensive HA
milk formula are expected to arrive in the next few days.
In all, about
1.5 million
8-ounce (236.5-milliliter) bottles of the three formulas — which are
hypoallergenic
for children with cow's milk protein allergies — will arrive this week.
These are the states with a more critical situation due to the lack of baby formula
May 21, 202200:25
Although Biden initially requested that the Pentagon use chartered commercial planes to move the baby formula, the White House said no commercial flights were available this weekend.
Instead, US Air Force aircraft will transport the initial batch of the formula.
The government has called the plan “Operación de Transporte Aéreo de Formula Láctea” (or Operative
Fly Formula
) at a time when it is struggling to deal with a shortage of this product nationwide, especially hypoallergenic varieties, after In February, the largest manufacturing plant in the country, of the manufacturer Abbott, was closed due to security problems.
[White House and Congress Move to Combat Baby Formula Shortage]
US regulators and Abbott expect its Michigan plant to be able to reopen next week, but it will take about two months for the product to be ready for distribution.
In the next few days the first flights with baby formula will begin to arrive
May 21, 202200:30
Baby formula has been in short supply due to the pandemic, but was recently exacerbated by the factory closure after four cases of infection were linked to the Abbott plant.
[Two Children Hospitalized Due to “Health Crisis” Due to Lack of Baby Formula]
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week relaxed the requirements to import formula and try to ease supply shortages, which have caused some brands to be absent from store shelves and some retailers to ration formula. sales for parents nervous that their children will lack food.
They warn of fraud in the purchase of baby formula through the internet.
so you can avoid it
May 19, 202201:31
Congress passes a law to help families
The Senate approved this Thursday a bill that seeks to combat the shortage of milk formula for families that participate in a government food assistance program, which represents approximately half of all the formula that is purchased in the country.
Those who benefit from the WIC program obtain coupons that are redeemed for certain foods to supplement their diets.
Coupons can usually only be used to purchase one brand of infant formula, which incentivizes the manufacturer to offer deep discounts.
The bill eliminates certain requirements so that the beneficiaries of the program can buy any brand available with the Government vouchers.
“The desperation is very great”: a Latina mother drives six hours to get formula for her baby
May 18, 202201:39