according to officials. this is product manufactured in zurich, driven into germany and then flown overnight by the air force's 521st air mobility operations wing here to indianapolis, where it will now be distributed. we heard from the agricultural secretary earlier today tom ceil sack on the tarmac, representing the biden administration and hoping to send to parents that he hopes that this initial shipment will be the first of many more. >> now, this shipment is going to essentially get off this cargo plane and then the federal express folks will take it from there. they're going to deliver it to a distribution center, essentially gerber folks have here in indiana. then it will go on trucks. it will be delivered in hospitals and home healthcare clinics all across the country, providing support and health. >> the secretary adding that this particular shipment, it is
when you get a kid on a certain formula, it's hard to switch to something else. >> yeah. some babies need soy based. this is milk based. it's a general product. a lot of infants can use it. it's good from infant to 12 months. it's a milk base. it's a good all around formula. it's good start by gerber. >> how long are you going to do this? >> as long as i can keep getting it or until the market catches up and they can stock it again. >> thank you so much for doing this. i know there are a lot of parents, grandparents who are super scared. there's nothing, frankly nothing scarier than finding your baby is hungry and you are running out of food, especially when that is all they can eat. your restaurant is called our place. where in texas are you? >> we are south of arlington in
if you could. weeks, months, a year? >> i'll let the fda speak to the specific timing. these are decisions that need to be made carefully, based on safety, but also quickly based on urgency. >> the fda commissioner said he would lay out a plan this week for how soon those imports could arrive and next week the house panel that oversees the fda will be grilling him and the heads of the three largest baby formulamakers, abbott, gerber and ricket. next hour, we'll be joined live by the chair of that panel, colorado congresswoman diana degette. >> we'll keep trying to get some more answers. i think it helps to lay out how we got to where we are, which may be maddening, but helpful as we try to get the answers. meantime, some parents who hit a dead end trying to find formula for their babies turning to a resource they may not have thought about before. cnn's senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen spoke to some moms helping one
tried the chat functions for a number of the major formula companies, and this is what we found. for abbott, the 1-800 number listed on the website, this is the company behind those major recalls. when we tried that number, we didn't get any answers by phone. they told us they don't answer questions by phone at this moment in time. they can, though, however, take a faxed over form from a pediatrician along with a doctor's order that is sort of this urgent formula request form. unclear how long that would take if a parent were to go that route. when we tried the 1 -80 0 number for wrreck it, behind infa mill the whole time was 7 2 minutes. when we get a representative on the phone, they told us they have nothing in stock right now. finally, we tried gerber. this is another major formula company. some of the web and chat functions we were telling the representative we're looking for a certain line of formula that is similar to similac. we were told they were also out
in march they, the fda, came out publicly and said there was no evidence -- no scientific evidence of the bacteria found in the abbott plant in michigan and the bacteria that tragically killed those two infants. the biden administration admitted there was no connection and abbott was under a voluntary recall. since march abbott has been trying to get back online but it has been crickets from the administration. what else does this plant need to do to get back up online? i would be curious from the administration why they haven't been responding to the abbott folks? let's get them back online. another thing, harris, when biden said last week that he was meeting with manufacturerers and suppliers like target, wal-mart, gerber, curiously abbott was not on the call. it makes you wonder why they didn't have the nation's largest manufacturerer as part of the conversation and why haven't they eased tariffs to import baby formula and why haven't they cut the regulatory
ireland. they're switching manufacturing lines in the u.s. that were devoted to other products, now for formula. gerber is increasing production of their formula but say they're a small player. you don't see a lot of gerber baby formula out there, it tends to be other brands. look at what parents should and should not do in the meantime. should not make your own formula, shouldn't use cow's milk or soy milk if the child is under one. don't water down formula. talk to the pediatrician. they don't have a secret stash of formula, as a medical issue, may be able to get you a specialty formula. if you have given up breastfeeding, can get to you a lactation counselor to restart breast milk supply. >> can't come quickly enough. thanks so much. we have now learned the suspect in saturday's shooting
including the ceos of walmart, target, reckitt, and gerber to call on them to do more to help families purchase infant formula. dr karleen gribble is adjunct associate professor at western sydney university, specialising in infant feeding. i asked her how serious the situation was. it's very serious. because infants who are dependent on infant formula need it. if they don't have that there's really not another product that's able to meet their needs. and why is the short is taking place? well, there was a problem with contamination within this major factory that resulted in them having to shut it down and clean it all, and so it's just created a shortage of product across the us.
across the united states.major us pharmacies have restricted sales of baby formula in response to a worsening shortage, which intensified when abbott — which makes top brand similac — closed a key factory and issued a recall in february afterfinding contamination. in the past few hours, white house press secretary, jen psaki, gave an update on the situation president biden has directed the administration to work urgently to ensure that infant formula is safe and available for families across the country during the abbott nutrition voluntary recall. this is work that's been under way for months. today, president biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers, including the ceos of walmart, target, reckitt, and gerber to call on them to do more to help families purchase infant formula. dr karleen gribble is adjunct associate professor at western sydney university, specialising in infant feeding. i asked her how serious
patience. >> right now i'm not seeing any solutions and scrambling to find formula. >> leaving formula makers gerber working around the clock to boost output. but the shelves across the country remain empty. tonight there are new allegations that the biden administration itself is stockpiling formula at the detention centers along the southern border. an effort to ensure that migrants have what they need. florida republican congresswoman kat kemp sharing these photos of what she says are pellets of formula in a migrant center in mcallen, texas. >> when american mothers are purchasing formula for illegals at the border, but they can't even get formula for their own children, that is a problem. >> tonight we also hear from the head of the national border patrol council someone by the name of brandon judd. he actually confirms to "fox news @ night" tonight that yes, their resources along the border are, in fact, stocked with infant formula.
to a worsening shortage, which intensified when abbott, which makes top brand, similac, closed a key factory and issued a recall in february afterfinding contamination. in the past few hours, white house press secretary, jen psaki, gave an update on the situation president biden has directed the administration to work urgently to ensure that infant formula is safe and available for families across the country during the abbott nutrition voluntary recall. this is work that's been under way for months. today, president biden spoke with retailers and manufacturers, including the ceos of walmart, target, reckitt, and gerber to call on them to do more to help families purchase infant formula. joining me now is lisa stellwagon, clinical professor of paediatrics and co—founder of university of california health milk bank. thank you very much forjoining me. how reassuring do you find those words