{"id":9064,"date":"2022-05-24T13:54:52","date_gmt":"2022-05-24T17:54:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/?page_id=9064"},"modified":"2022-05-24T13:54:52","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T17:54:52","slug":"virginia-department-of-health-offers-guidance-during-nationwide-infant-formula-shortage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/archived-news-releases\/2022-news-releases\/virginia-department-of-health-offers-guidance-during-nationwide-infant-formula-shortage\/","title":{"rendered":"Virginia Department of Health Offers Guidance During Nationwide Infant Formula Shortage\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/b> &#8211; <b>May 24, 2022<br \/>\n<\/b><b>Media Contact:\u00a0 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Brookie Crawford, <\/span><a href=\"mailto:brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><b>Virginia Department of Health Offers Guidance During Nationwide Infant Formula Shortage\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0<\/span><b>RICHMOND, VA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u2013 Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued guidance in direct response to inquiries from parents and caregivers regarding the nationwide infant formula shortage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">VDH offers the following advice for families, guardians, and loved ones looking for formula:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Do not<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> use \u201chome\u201d recipes for making your own formula, and <\/span><b>do not<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> dilute the formula or alter package instructions in any way as these practices can have severe, at times fatal, consequences for the infant.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Purchase only a 10-14-day supply each time.\u00a0 Stockpiling will only make shortages worse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Call ahead to nearby stores to find the ones that have formula before you travel.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Check smaller markets and drug stores when the big box stores and supermarkets are out.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Consider purchasing formula online. Only purchase from well-established distributors and pharmacies. However, <\/span><b>do not<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> buy formula <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">online<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from a vendor outside the United States as it is not guaranteed to be FDA compliant.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Discuss with your pediatrician about safe and appropriate feeding alternatives for your child, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/breastfeeding\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">breastfeeding<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The infant formula shortage is also affecting the Virginia WIC program, a special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe Virginia WIC Program continues to navigate through the formula shortage issues,\u201d said <\/span><b>State WIC Director Paula N. Garrett, MS, RD.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> \u201cWith the Abbott formula recall, Virginia WIC was able to expand formula options available to our participants.\u00a0 The list of the most recently updated Virginia WIC-approved formulas and substitutions can be located on our webpage at<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/virginiawic.com\/\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400\">virginiawic.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. The low inventory of formula is causing many of our participants to search at multiple authorized vendors to locate necessary products. In some instances, Virginia WIC is able to order formula through our formula distribution warehouse for participants; however many of those items are backordered and out of stock as well. Virginia WIC continues to work with our participants and their healthcare providers to help locate the necessary formulas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Parents and caregivers are encouraged to visit the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/blog\/2022\/05\/16\/infant-formula-shortage-information\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">VDH blog<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for the most updated information and additional resources, including information on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/118\/2022\/04\/WICRelactationflier-Eng-3-21-2022.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">transitioning back to full breastfeeding<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (if only partially breastfeeding) or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/breastfeeding\/breastfeeding-special-circumstances\/supporting-families-with-relactation.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">re-lactating<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (if not breastfeeding). Caregivers can also contact their <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/local-health-districts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">local health department<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for additional assistance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, VDH encourages well-meaning individuals who wish to buy formula and donate it to, instead, leave it on the shelf.\u00a0 It is easier for the families that need the formula to find it if it stays in the marketplace.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Virginia WIC has obtained the applicable <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fns.usda.gov\/wic\/infant-formula-waiver-status\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">waivers <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">as recommended by USDA to facilitate access to infant formula during this shortage and has created <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/content\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2022\/04\/VA-WIC-Formula-Subs-April-2022.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a crosswalk of affected infant formulas and their types to alternatives<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> that will support the nutritional needs of the infants.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">WIC participants can contact the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/wic\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Virginia WIC Website<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, call the VA WIC Help Desk (877-835-5942) or contact their local WIC office.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"># # #<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE &#8211; May 24, 2022 Media Contact:\u00a0 Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov \u00a0Virginia Department of Health Offers Guidance During Nationwide Infant Formula Shortage\u00a0 \u00a0RICHMOND, VA \u2013 Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued guidance in direct response to inquiries from parents and caregivers regarding the nationwide infant formula shortage. VDH offers the following advice [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":444,"featured_media":0,"parent":8243,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[66,67,68],"class_list":["post-9064","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","tag-infant-formula","tag-shortage","tag-wic"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Virginia Department of Health Offers Guidance During Nationwide Infant Formula Shortage\u00a0 - Newsroom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.vdh.virginia.gov\/news\/public-relations-contacts\/archived-news-releases\/2022-news-releases\/virginia-department-of-health-offers-guidance-during-nationwide-infant-formula-shortage\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Virginia Department of Health Offers Guidance During Nationwide Infant Formula Shortage\u00a0 - Newsroom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE &#8211; May 24, 2022 Media Contact:\u00a0 Brookie Crawford, brookie.crawford@vdh.virginia.gov \u00a0Virginia Department of Health Offers Guidance During Nationwide Infant Formula Shortage\u00a0 \u00a0RICHMOND, VA \u2013 Today, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) issued guidance in direct response to inquiries from parents and caregivers regarding the nationwide infant formula shortage. 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