CLICKING ON THE NEWS TAB.
IN OTHER NEWS, AS A BABY FORMULA
SHORTAGE WORSENS, PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN PUT IN PLACE THE DEFENSE
PRODUCTION ACT.
THAT'S AN EMERGENCY ACTION MEANT
FOR TIMES OF WAR, IN ORDER TO
EXPEDITE SUPPLY CHAINS AND GET
FORMULA BACK ON TO SHELVES.
THE CRISIS FELT ACROSS THE
COUNTRY HAS PARENTS SCRAMBLING,
GOING STORE TO STORE TO FIND
FOOD FOR THEIR BABIES.
WE'RE JOINED BY DR. JASMINE
ZAPATA, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER
AND STATE EPIDEMIOLOGIST AT THE
WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES.
AND DOCTOR, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU.
>> SO HOW CRITICAL IS THIS
SHORTAGE IN WISCONSIN?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
THIS IS A VERY CRITICAL
SITUATION BECAUSE THERE ARE MANY
PARENTS, THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES
WHO INDEED, WHEN THEY GO TO THE
STORES, CAN'T FIND THE FORMULA
THAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR BABIES.
SO THIS IS VERY REAL AND IT'S A
VERY CRITICAL SHORTAGE RIGHT
NOW.
>> AND INDEED, IT EXISTS IN
WISCONSIN AS WELL?
>> YES, MM-HMM.
>> SO WHAT HAVE THE FEDS TOLD
YOU ABOUT HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE
TO RELIEVE THE SHORTAGE WITH
THEIR ACTIONS AND WITH THE
MICHIGAN MANUFACTURING PLANT NOW
BACK IN OPERATION AFTER BEING
CLOSED?
>> GREAT QUESTION.
WE ARE HOPING AND WE'VE HEARD
THAT THEY ARE WORKING AS FAST AS
POSSIBLE AND HOPEFULLY THERE
WILL BE SOME RELIEF VERY SOON
BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN AN EXACT
DAY OR AN EXACT TIME PERIOD
WHERE THE SHELVES WILL BE FULLY
STOCKED AND ALL OF THIS GOES
AWAY.
WE JUST KNOW SOON.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME KEY THINGS
THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE EVEN OVER
THE PAST WEEK THAT GIVE US HOPE.
>> SO THE DHS WEBSITE DOES HAVE
A LIST OF FORMULA ALTERNATIVES
THAT PARENTS CAN TURN TO IF THEY
CAN'T FIND THEIR REGULAR BRAND.
HOW DOES A PARENT ASSESS WHAT
ALTERNATIVES MIGHT WORK FOR
THEIR BABY?
>> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
SO IF YOU'RE A PARENT AND YOU
HAVE -- OR A FAMILY MEMBER AND
YOU HAVE A BABY WHO IS USED TO
TAKING A TYPE OF INFANT FORMULA,
IN GENERAL, YOUR BABY CAN TAKE
ANY OTHER TYPE OF INFANT FORMULA
BRAND.
THERE ARE SOME FAMILIES THAT
JUST HAVE A CERTAIN BRAND THAT
THEIR BABY IS USED TO, SO THE
KEY POINT IS THAT YOU CAN TAKE
ANY OTHER TYPE OF INFANT FORMULA
BRAND.
THERE ARE JUST A FEW KEY THINGS
THAT ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO WATCH
OUT FOR, AND TO AVOID THAT CAN
BE HARMFUL FOR THE BABY.
SO IT'S OKAY TO SHIFT TO
DIFFERENT BRANDS, BUT THINGS TO
WATCH OUT FOR AND NOT TO DO IS
TO FEED YOUR BABY COW'S MILK OR
EVEN PLANT BASED MILKS,
ESPECIALLY FOR BABIES WHO ARE
UNDER 1 YEAR OF AGE, THAT CAN BE
VERY HARMFUL TO DO, SO AVOID
THAT.
AVOID WATERING DOWN FORMULAS TO
MAKE THEM STRETCH.
THAT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR
BABIES.
AND THEN AVOID HOMEMADE RECIPES.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU ARE
LOOKING FOR JUST DIFFERENT
BRANDS OF FORMULAS, THAT IS
OKAY.
>> WHAT IF EVEN THE ALTERNATIVES
ARE OUT OF STOCK AND THE SHELVES
ARE SIMPLY BARE, WHAT THEN?
>> THOSE ARE SOME GREAT
QUESTIONS.
IF THE SHELVES ARE BARE, THERE'S
A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT
YOU CAN DO.
YOU CAN GO ONLINE TO RETAILERS
THAT YOU TRUST, REPUTABLE ONLINE
SOURCES.
THERE HAVE BEEN FAMILIES WHO
HAVE FOUND SUCCESS WITH THAT.
ALSO GOING TO LOCAL CHARITIES
AND LOCAL FOOD BANKS, THEY HAVE
BEEN HELPFUL.
ALSO CONTACTING YOUR LOCAL WIK C
OFFICE, THEY HAVE BEEN HELPFUL
DIRECTING PEOPLE TO RESOURCES.
ADDITIONALLY, IF YOU'RE IN A
SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVEN'T BEEN
ABLE TO FEED YOUR BABY AND IT'S
A DIRE SITUATION, CALL YOUR
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER, BECAUSE
YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER CAN
HELP GUIDE YOU THROUGH SOME
THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO, SOME
OPTIONS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
SO TALK TO YOUR BABY'S
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IF YOU ARE
COMPLETELY OUT AND THEY MIGHT BE
ABLE TO HELP AS WELL.
>> SO WE HEARD FROM A COMMUNITY
CLINIC IN GREEN BAY THAT MOMS
ARE TAKING TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO
ALERT EACH OTHER WHERE TO FIND
FORMULA.
SOMETIMES VISITING MULTIPLE
STORES AND STILL COMING UP
SHORT.
WHAT, AGAIN, IS YOUR ADVICE FOR
PARENTS WHO FIND THEMSELVES IN
THIS REALLY VERY SCARY KIND OF
CIRCUMSTANCE?
>> YES.
IT DEFINITELY CAN BE A SCARY
CIRCUMSTANCE IF YOU'RE LOOKING
ALL OVER AND YOU CAN'T FIND
FORMULA OR FOOD FOR YOUR BABY.
I WOULD SAY THAT THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING TO DO IS TO CALL
YOUR BABY'S HEALTHCARE PROVIDER
TO ALERT THEM OF THE SITUATION.
BEFORE YOU TAKE FORMULA AND
WATER IT DOWN OR MAKE YOUR OWN,
YOU SHOULD CALL YOUR BABY'S
HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BECAUSE THEY
CAN TALK YOU THROUGH SOME
OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR
BABY AND THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO
HELP YOU AS WELL.
ANOTHER OPTION IS CONTACTING
SOME MILK BANKS, SOME CERTIFIED
MILK BANKS, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE
LACTATING AND PRODUCING MILK FOR
THEIR OWN BABIES THAT THERE ARE
PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO DONATE
THAT AS WELL, SO THAT'S
SOMETHING AS AN ALTERNATIVE YOU
CAN LOOK TO, AND OF COURSE LOOK
AT THE DHS WEBSITE TO LOOK FOR
SOME RESOURCES.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING