America is enduring its worst baby formula shortage in decades.
Baby formula has been running low all over the United States, threatening the health of infants and other people who depend on it for their sustenance. Experts say this is the worst formula shortage in decades. It’s also the latest example of how the US health system’s failures consistently fall hardest on people with complex medical conditions and people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. The shortage can be traced back to a contamination problem at an Abbott factory that produces much of the Similac formula, as well as several other brands, for the US market, Abbott voluntarily shut down the factory in February, amid consumer complaints about contaminated formula that was linked to two infant deaths. As of mid-May, it’s still not up and running again. As Politico reported this week, it’s not exactly clear why Abbott and the FDA have failed to come to an agreement that would allow the plant to resume producing formula and help alleviate the shortage. That factory’s prolonged shutdown, combined with general supply-chain problems for the formula ingredients and packaging, have led to formula stock drying up fast. Nationwide, about 40 percent of the most popular baby formula brands were out of stock as of April 24, according to the Wall Street Journal, much higher than the 10 percent average in normal times. Some parts of the country, like the San Antonio metropolitan area, are seeing more than half of their normal supply out of stock. Panic buying amid news of the shortage has already caused some major chains to limit the number of formula containers that any one person can buy. Public officials are already worried about the possibility of price gouging. As long as supplies are limited, some people may struggle to feed their children or themselves. It is people of color and people living in poverty, along with the people who must take special formulas for medical reasons, who will be most exposed to the health and economic consequences of a prolonged formula shortage.
“Certainly, the families who have fewer resources, have fewer options, who aren’t able to pay premium prices are going to be more at risk,” said Ann Kellams, a University of Virginia faculty pediatrician and board president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.
