Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
To Fix Shortage, Biden Empowers Military To Fly In Baby Formula
The New York Times: Biden Invokes Defense Powers In A Bid To Ease Formula Shortage
President Biden took urgent action on Wednesday to address the nationwide baby formula shortage, invoking the Defense Production Act to increase production and creating “Operation Fly Formula” to deploy Defense Department planes and speed formula shipments into the United States from overseas. The moves are Mr. Biden’s first major initiative to respond to a crisis that has sown fear and frustration among parents across the country and prompted Republicans and Democrats alike to demand action. (Karni and Cochrane, 5/18)
AP: Biden Invokes Defense Production Act For Formula Shortage
The Defense Production Act order requires suppliers of formula manufacturers to fulfill orders from those companies before other customers, in an effort to eliminate production bottlenecks. Biden is also authorizing the Defense Department to use commercial aircraft to fly formula supplies that meet federal standards from overseas to the U.S., in what the White House is calling “Operation Fly Formula.” (Miller and Freking, 5/19)
And the baby formula funding bill advances —
Bloomberg: House Passes FDA Baby Formula Bill, But Senate Fate Is Uncertain
The House passed a $28 million emergency funding bill for the Food and Drug Administration to address the shortage of infant formula in the US and provide tighter oversight of the industry. The legislation was approved Wednesday night on a 231 to 192 vote. Democrats argued that increasing funding for inspections would help bolster supplies by expediting sourcing of formula from new domestic and international suppliers, which must be FDA-approved. (Wasson, 5/19)
More on the formula shortage —
Columbus Dispatch: Baby Formula Shortage: Ohio Moms On WIC May Soon Have Some Relief
The Ohio Department of Health said Wednesday that it has applied for waivers from the federal government to give low-income mothers more choices when selecting baby formula. Low-income mothers often rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, more commonly known as WIC, to secure money for baby formula and food for their children. WIC often comes with strict guidelines that say what brand and how much of infant formula a mother can purchase at a time. (Wu, 5/18)
Houston Chronicle: Here's What Houston Doctors Want You To Know About Dangerous Baby Formula Alternatives
As parents hunt for alternative solutions amid a nationwide baby formula shortage, Texas Children’s Hospital pediatricians have a message: Be careful where you’re looking. Baby formula, a supplement or substitute for breastfeeding, is made through an extremely complicated process that ensures the right combination of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, said Dr. Stan Spinner, chief medical officer and vice president of Texas Children’s Pediatrics and Texas Children’s Urgent Care. Using how-to videos on YouTube to make the formula yourself could be “very, very dangerous,” he said. (Gill, 5/18)
Fox News: Baby Formula Shortage: Why Many Mothers Can't Breastfeed
With the recent nationwide baby formula shortage, breastfeeding is often suggested for mothers as a natural alternative, but it’s not so simple, according to a recent the New York Times report. "TRY BREASTFEEDING. It’s free and available on demand," singer and actress Bette Midler, 76, tweeted on Thursday, May 12 in response to the national formula shortage. "Most mothers have the ability to breastfeed, so I feel it’s hard for them to understand what it’s like for a mother who cannot. As a new mom, we’re told it’s so important to breastfeed, even before the baby is born, they drill it into you. After working with five lactation consultants, I wasn’t built for it," first-time mother Misty Mortezaie, 40, told Fox News. (Sudhakar, 5/18)
