Kamala Harris welcomed a new supply of infant formula brought in from overseas this week in an effort to alleviate the catastrophic shortage.
Doug Emhoff, the vice president and second gentleman, met with airline personnel assisting with formula delivery at Dulles Airport near Washington, D.C. on Friday.
Harris stated that by Father’s Day, the administration will have sent in 13 million eight-ounce bottles via its ‘Operation Fly Formula’ airlift.
‘This really is about what should be one of the highest purposes for any one of us,’ Harris said in a short speech at the airport, ‘which is to ensure we are meeting the needs of our children.’
The formula shortfall began in February, when the Abbott factory in Michigan was forced to close owing to contamination concerns. The facility began operations on June 4 but was forced to halt again due to flooding damage to the building caused by strong storms.
Harris applauded the multi-agency collaboration that has provided thousands of pounds of formula during this emergency crisis in her speech.
‘We are clear that the strength of public-private partnerships is something that can meet moments like this in an extraordinary way,’ Harris said.
This is the latest shipment from the Biden-Harris Administration’s Operation Fly Formula, a multi-agency collaboration in which the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Health and Human Services (HHS), General Services Administration (GSA), and Defense (DOD) ship infant formula so it can reach store shelves faster.
According to the White House, the supply on Friday was provided by United Airlines and is one of ten international shipments of baby formula handled by Operation Fly Formula this week.
The shipment from London contained 14,000 pounds of Kendamil formula, which equates to more than 200,000 eight-ounce bottles of formula. Other cargoes arrived this week from London, Switzerland, and Australia.
On June 18, another United Airlines flight from London Heathrow will arrive at Dulles International Airport carrying Kendamil infant formula.
On June 19, two United Airlines aircraft from London Heathrow will arrive at Dulles International Airport carrying Kendamil infant formula.
Harris stated that, while this is progress, more has to be done and that local manufacturing and formula movement must occur quickly on shelves.
The administration has also utilized the Defense Production Act to increase domestic formula production.
At the time, Abbott recalled numerous popular formula brands, including Similac. This stretched supplies that were already stressed due to supply chain disruptions and hoarding during the COVID-19 shutdowns.
The persistent formula scarcity has been especially difficult for children who rely on specialist formulas due to allergies, digestive issues, or metabolic disorders.
Since then, Biden’s government has relaxed import restrictions for foreign manufacturers, flown formula from Europe, and invoked federal emergency regulations to promote domestic production.
On Thursday, FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf told a Senate committee that government efforts to raise supply imply there will be more than enough medicine to fulfill current demand. He also mentioned that other infant formula makers in the United States run their operations around the clock.
Califf said they hoped to have a ‘super supply’ of formula to get shelves fully restocked in perhaps two weeks.
‘But it’s too early to give an exact estimate of what the delay will be in the Sturgis plant,’ Califf said at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.
Califf called the flood at the plant ‘an unfortunate setback and a reminder that natural weather events can cause unforeseen disruptions in supply chains.’
Abbott is one of just four businesses that manufactures almost 90% of the formula sold in the United States. According to Hamilton, Abbott produced 8.7 million pounds of formula in June, which is 95 percent of what it produced the month before the recall.
The Michigan business was shut down after the Food and Drug Administration launched an investigation into four bacterial infections among newborns who ate powdered formula from the plant. Two of the infants perished.
The corporation maintains that its products were not directly linked to the infections, which involved several bacterial strains.
Inspectors from the FDA eventually discovered a slew of breaches at the business, including bacterial contamination, a leaky roof, and insufficient safety protocols.
During Thursday’s session, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, referenced Associated Press reports that the FDA skipped 15,000 inspections of baby formula manufacturers due to COVID-19, and argued inspectors should be deemed “essential workers.”
The Abbott facility in Michigan resumed operations on June 4, but was forced to close this week due to flooding caused by strong storms.
Production of Abbott’s EleCare specialized formula has been halted, but the company says there is enough supply to meet demand until production resumes.
Abbott emphasized increasing manufacturing of the specialist formula for newborns with severe food allergies and digestive issues who have few alternative nutritional options.
After strong thunderstorms and heavy rains stormed across southern Michigan late Monday, Abbott says it needs to analyze the damage and re-sanitize the factory. Flooding struck a few portions of the facility, according to spokesman Jonathon Hamilton, but he declined to provide any particular details about the damage.
When it reopens, the facility will resume producing EleCare and other specialist products. Abbott also wants to restore Similac formula production as soon as possible.