With the baby formula shortage reaching across America, parents are desperately seeking answers from the Biden administration as they travel hours to buy whatever formula they can find. There have even been reports of parents diluting the baby formula, which can be dangerous for the infant, in an effort to preserve what little supply they have left.

On Wednesday, the Biden administration announced the Defense Production Act which has been used several times throughout history. According to the Washington Post, “the measure allows the federal government to push businesses and manufacturers to prioritize the delivery and production of goods and services that the president deems key to national security.” But while the White House hopes to fix the issues, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy decided to give some tips on how parents can prepare. 

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In the video, which is featured below, the Surgeon General, who also served under former President Barack Obama, suggested, “we want people to know that for most infants, it’s okay to actually switch brands in a circumstance like this temporarily. The second thing we’re urging people to do is look at other locations as well, including smaller stores, which sometimes will have products, and that includes smaller pharmacies as well. And third, we’re also recommending to people that they reach out to their doctors and to use the website that we have set up because we have resources that can help people find other locations, food banks, and other locations that may have supplies that they can utilize as well.” 


Murthy was sure to reiterate that parents should not dilute the formula. “we don’t want people to dilute the infant formula. I absolutely understand how that would be an instinct for some people to try to preserve supply. We’re also asking people not to make their own formula at home, because the infant formula has a number of components that have to be mixed in the right proportions, which is why the FDA regulates this so carefully. So we don’t want to create another safety issue for kids.”

Believing his efforts enough, both the Surgeon General and viewers were shocked when MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski criticized the entire effort taken by the Biden administration. “So Dr. Murthy, with respect, I’m missing something here. I am not feeling an intensity. You want to know where there is not a baby formula crisis – in Poland, on the border, where they took in almost 4 million people in three months. And there’s enough formula there. There’s food, they’ve set up housing, they’ve been able to do all of this, by the way, with the fundamental help of the US military. So my question is, why isn’t there the same mobilization here in America for this crisis? I mean, mothers are being told to go to websites or to drive hours to try formula that might make their baby’s sick. Are we really here and what is solving the problem? Not in a matter of weeks, but when are we going to see formula in the mouths of babies in America without any stress in terms of getting it.”

This piece was written by Zach Heilman on May 19, 2022. It originally appeared in RedVoiceMedia.com and is used by permission.

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