Biden FINALLY acts: First baby formula mercy flight is loaded with 31 tons in Germany - as infants are admitted to hospital in US due to shortages and pediatrician says 'crisis' is worsening

  • Operation Fly Formula will see the formula - sufficient to make 1.5 million eight ounce bottles - being flown from Ramstein American Air Base in Germany to Indiana, before being distributed nationwide  
  • Sick babies are being hospitalized after drinking from different formulas because their parents could not find their brands amid the nationwide shortage 
  • At least four babies have been admitted to the Medical University of South Carolina and two at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee 
  • Dr. Mark Corkin, of Le Bonheur, described it as a 'crisis' and that hospitals could only provide short term solutions for the hungry infants
  • Many babies rely on a single brand of formula due to allergies or restrictions on what they can consume, leaving parents in distress amid the shortage
  • It comes as the Biden administration approved 'Operation Fly Formula' to deliver more than two hundred pallents of formula from Germany to the U.S.  

By Ap and Ronny Reyes For Dailymail.Com

Published: | Updated:

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Efforts to alleviate baby formula shortages saw 31 tons of baby food loaded onto a military aircraft on Saturday that's now headed for Indiana.

President Biden's Operation Fly Formula will see 132 pallets of the Nestle-manufactured powder arrive in the US later on Saturday. 

It comes as multiple infants were admitted to hospitals across the US after suffering allergic reactions to homemade formula, with one pediatrician warning the crisis will only worsen.  

The White House says 132 pallets of Nestlé Health Science Alfamino Infant and Alfamino Junior formula will leave Ramstein Air Base in Germany and arrive in the U.S. this weekend. 

Another 114 pallets of Gerber Good Start Extensive HA formula are expected to arrive in the coming days.

'These formulas have been prioritized because they serve a critical medical purpose and are in short supply in the United States because of the Abbott Sturgis plant closure,' a White House official said.

Altogether about 1.5 million 8-ounce bottles of the three formulas, which are hypoallergenic for children with cow's milk protein allergy, will arrive this week.

While Biden initially requested that the Pentagon use commercially chartered aircraft to move the formula from Europe to the U.S., the White House said no commercial flights were available this weekend.

Some of the baby formula bound for the US is pictured at Ramstein American Air Force Base in Germany Saturday, just before it was loaded onto a military aircraft

Some of the baby formula bound for the US is pictured at Ramstein American Air Force Base in Germany Saturday, just before it was loaded onto a military aircraft 

The Nestle-manufactured formula is sufficient to produce 1.5 million eight ounce bottles, and will arrive in Indiana later on Saturday

The Nestle-manufactured formula is sufficient to produce 1.5 million eight ounce bottles, and will arrive in Indiana later on Saturday 

Instead, U.S. Air Force planes will transport the initial batch, in what has been dubbed 'Operation Fly Formula.' 

It comes as babies are being hospitalized across the US due to worsening formula shortages, with doctors warning worse is to come, as Biden faces questions over his slow response.

The Medical University of South Carolina confirmed that at least four babies have been admitted to the hospital due to the formula shortage as of Thursday night, while Dr. Mark Corkin said he's treating two toddlers for the same issue at the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, CBS reported. 

An unknown number of babies are also being treated at a hospital in Atlanta.  

According to the hospitals, the babies were admitted due to reactions they suffered from drinking formula different from the ones they usually drank because parents could not find the product amid the shortage. 

'I've never seen anything like this,' Corkins told CBS. 'They come in dehydrated. We give them IV fluids. We give them nutrition by vein. But that's not a long term solution.' 

The hospitalization reports come after the Biden administration approved its 'Operation Fly Formula' to deliver more than two hundred pallets of formula from Germany to the U.S. on Friday.  The Nestle formula - enough for 1.5 million eight ounce bottles - should touch down in Indiana Saturday. 

Servicemen and woman use a forklift truck to prep the pallets of formula for air transporation

Servicemen and woman use a forklift truck to prep the pallets of formula for air transporation 

The formula is being delivered to the US as part of President Biden's emergency Operation Fly Formula plan to help feed the United States' hungry babies after a factory closure

The formula is being delivered to the US as part of President Biden's emergency Operation Fly Formula plan to help feed the United States' hungry babies after a factory closure 

A servicewoman appears to make final checks on a pallet of formula as its lifted by a forklift

A servicewoman appears to make final checks on a pallet of formula as its lifted by a forklift 

Servicemen lift formula onto a truck, shortly before it is put onto a military aircraft. Multiple children have been hospitalized across the United States due to the shortage

Servicemen lift formula onto a truck, shortly before it is put onto a military aircraft. Multiple children have been hospitalized across the United States due to the shortage 

Dr. Mark Corkin, of the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, warned that the formula shortage is a crisis affecting infants who depend on a single brand

Dr. Mark Corkin, of the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, warned that the formula shortage is a crisis affecting infants who depend on a single brand

Ashley Strom said her daughter, Chloe, a 7-and-a-half month old, can't tolerate dairy, so she's worried her baby would be hospitalized if she tries another formula brand

Ashley Strom said her daughter, Chloe, a 7-and-a-half month old, can't tolerate dairy, so she's worried her baby would be hospitalized if she tries another formula brand

The Medical University of South Carolina confirmed that at least four babies have been admitted to the hospital due to the formula shortage

The Medical University of South Carolina confirmed that at least four babies have been admitted to the hospital due to the formula shortage

The nationwide shortage in baby formula comes after an Abbott plant in Sturgess, Massachusetts, was shut down in February following a contamination incident. Abbott is one of four producers of formula in the U.S., which relies on the companies for 98 percent of the baby formula it consumes. 

That single plant in Sturgess produces 80 per cent of the domestic supply of amino acid formula.  

The average out-of-stock rate for the key product hit 43 percent earlier this month, according to Datasembly. 

It has left parents scrambling to find enough baby formula for their infants as they are faced with rows of empty shelves across the country, which are sporadically refilled as producers try to maintain a steady flow. 

The situation has had a dire impact on babies who only consume a single brand of formula due to allergies or dietary restrictions, flinging parents into worry and despair when they can't track down the product. 

Ashley Strom, the mother of Chloe, a 7-and-a-half-month-old girl, is one such parent who said her baby sustains herself on one type of formula because she can't tolerate dairy. 

'[It's] just terrifying to think, 'What if I couldn't find her specific formula,'' Strom told CBS. 'Because it's not like Chloe can just eat whatever is available.'

Ellen Burnette, of South Carolina, is another parent who's worried about running out of the formula brand her two-year-old son needs. 

'It's been really difficult to find any,' Burnette told WLTX. 'When I went online, I could only get half a months' worth.' 

Many shelves, including this one at a Target store in Maryland, are completely out of stock on baby formula nationwide

Many shelves, including this one at a Target store in Maryland, are completely out of stock on baby formula nationwide 

Many states, including Tennessee, are experiencing above a 40 percent shortage after Abbott Laboratories recalled products in February, sending parents spiraling and leaving babies with rashes and illnesses after switching to generic

Many states, including Tennessee, are experiencing above a 40 percent shortage after Abbott Laboratories recalled products in February, sending parents spiraling and leaving babies with rashes and illnesses after switching to generic 

The US reached an all-time high on May 1 at 43 percent, which has persisted

The US reached an all-time high on May 1 at 43 percent, which has persisted

 

Many took to Twitter to slam Joe Biden for not acting faster to help alleviate the crisis

Many took to Twitter to slam Joe Biden for not acting faster to help alleviate the crisis 

Although the shipment is expected to provide relief in the coming weeks, many were quick to slam the Biden administration have taking too long to push the plan through. 

Twitter user Philllip Larry asked, 'AND the REASON he did not do this 2 weeks ago is?' 

Another Twitter user with the handle Paulv wrote: 'Little late Joey! Where you been for the last year?' 

Theresa Allen McKittrick, a fellow Twitter user, wrote: 'About damn time something's done!'

Another Twitter user with the handle Barely Soiled simply wrote, '3 months late, Bozo.' 

TIMELINE SHOWS HOW AMERICA'S LARGEST BABY FORMULA PLANT CEASED PRODUCTION

Abbott Laboratories, the biggest baby formula supplier in the U.S., ceased production at its Michigan plant in February 2022 amid reports of fatal bacterial infections.

A timeline of events shows reveals the shut down was the plant had previously been under scrutiny by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

September 2021: The FDA conducted a four-day inspection of the Abbott Laboratories plant in Sturgis, Michigan.

The inspection report revealed the plant 'did not maintain' clean and sanitary conditions in at least one building that manufactured, processed, packaged or held baby formula.

FDA officials also observed poor hand washing among Abbott plant staff who 'worked directly with infant formula.'

The FDA also noted an instance of improper equipment maintenance and temperature control. 

October 2021: A whistleblower sends the FDA a 34-page document outlining potential concerns with the Sturgis plant. 

The document, which was made public by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro in April 2022, was written by a former plant employee. 

The employee accused the plant of lax cleaning practices, falsifying records, releasing untested infant formula, and hiding information during an FDA audit in 2019, among other issues. 

January - March 2022: The FDA conducted multiple inspections at the Sturgis plant over the course of three months in 2022. A ten-page inspection report revealed multiple violations at the facility.

The agency alleged the plant failed to ensure that all surfaces that contact infant formula were maintained to prevent cross-contamination.

The report states the facility 'did not establish a system of process controls' to ensure the baby formula 'does not become adulterated due to the presence of microorganisms in the formula or the processing environment.'

Officials also alleged the plant failed to disclose in an investigation report whether a health hazard existed at the facility.

Additionally, the report stated plant workers were did not wear the 'necessary protective material' when working directly with infant formula.

February 17: U.S. health officials urgently warn parents against using three popular baby formulas manufactured at the Abbott plant in Michigan. Investigators claim the products were recently linked to bacterial contamination after an infant died and three others fell ill.

Abbott voluntarily recalled several major brands and shut down its Sturgis plant. 

The FDA also said it is investigating four reports of infants who were hospitalized after consuming the formula, including one who died.

February 28: Abbott Laboratories expanded its recall of Similac baby formulas after a second infant who was exposed to the powdered baby formula died.

April 15: Abbott releases a statement alleging it is working closely with the FDA to restart operations at the Sturgis plant. 

Week of April 24: The nationwide share of out-of-stock baby formula hit 40 percent. Texas, Tennessee, Missouri, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota, seemingly hardest hit by the shortages, reported out-of-stock rates of about 50 percent.

May 10: Abbott releases a statement to DailyMail.com claiming 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'.

Abbott claims they are 'working closely with the FDA to restart operations' at the plant, with the spokesperson noting: 'We continue to make progress on corrective actions and will be implementing additional actions as we work toward addressing items related to the recent recall'.

The FDA told DailyMail.com it was holding discussions with 'Abbott and other manufacturers to increase production of different specialty and metabolic products' but refused to say when the Sturgis plant could reopen.

Sen. Mitt Romney issued a letter to the FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) urging leaders to address the formula shortage and work to prevent future threats to infant health.

May 11: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill announce plans to hold a hearing in two weeks on infant formula shortages.

Abbott announced it would take up to ten weeks for the company to get baby formula to retailers once the Sturgis plant reopens.

Abbott also said: 'After a thorough review of all available data, there is no evidence to link our formulas to these infant illnesses.'

May 12: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki defends the government's closure of the Abbott plant.

President Joe Biden met with executives from infant formula manufactures and retailers to address the shortage.

May 13: Biden addresses the formula crisis during a press briefing, saying: 'We're going to be, in a matter of weeks or less, getting significantly more formula on shelves.' 

The FDA announced it was working to streamline a process that will get more products to consumers - while also meeting safety, quality and labeling standards 

May 16: Abbott and the FDA reach agreement to reopen baby formula facility in Michigan.

However, the FDA has yet to disclose a timeframe for allowing the plant to resume production. 

The FDA also implemented new measures, in effect for 180 days, to increase imports of baby formula produced overseas.

May 18: Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to boost baby formula production and issued a directive for planes to bring in supplies from overseas, after growing pressure from Congress.  

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