White House announces first government flights to deliver baby formula from Europe to US
Source: The Hill
The Biden administration on Thursday announced the first flights will take place in the coming days to deliver infant formula from Europe to the United States as part of a new government initiative to address the domestic formula shortage.
The Pentagon is working to get planes in place to fly the equivalent of 1.5 million bottles of formula from Zurich, Switzerland, to Plainfield, Ind., to be distributed to areas of need. The flights are part of Operation Fly Formula, an initiative launched this week as one of several steps the White House is taking to increase formula supply.
The Switzerland flight will bring three different types of formula: Alfamino Infant, Alfamino Junior and Gerber Good Start Extensive HA. All three are hypoallergenic and are being prioritized because formulas that are safe for babies with allergies are in especially short supply, the White House said.
The formula shortage occurred after an Abbott Nutrition plant was shuttered back in February over reports of babies falling ill after ingesting formula from the facility. Increased attention on the shortage in recent weeks has led to even shorter supply and price gouging.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/3495198-white-house-announces-first-government-flights-to-deliver-baby-formula-from-europe-to-us/