Accident at a nuclear power plant could release radioactive iodine into environment, says Finnish minister of health
As concerns over a nuclear event grow due to the Russia-Ukraine war, several Finnish pharmacies have run out of iodine tablets soon after authorities advised households to purchase a single dose in case of a radiation emergency.
The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health issued a warning on Tuesday that radioactive iodine could be released into the environment in the event of a nuclear power plant disaster and accumulate in the thyroid gland.
As people hurried to buy the tablets, numerous pharmacies reported on Wednesday that they were out of stock, while drug wholesalers said inventories had been depleted.
Due to the potential risks that radiation exposure poses to people aged three to 40, the ministry said its guideline on iodine tablets was only for that age group.
It made no mention of Russia's conflict in Ukraine or of the probable locations for potential nuclear strikes. It only stated that it had updated recommendations for using iodine tablets to comply with the most recent guidelines established by the World Health Organization.
Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been under Russian control since March, has been at the center of growing concerns of a nuclear disaster between Moscow and Kyiv, both of which accuse each other of attacks on the facility.
