Finland runs low on iodine tablets as Ukraine war increases nuclear fears

Drug wholesalers also reported depleted stocks

Stocks of iodine tablets in pharmacies across Finland have run out after health officials recommended people stock up because of increased fears of a nuclear incident due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, health officials in Finland announced that households should buy a single dose of iodine – which can protect from radiation – in an oblique acknowledgement of a potential nuclear event in Ukraine.

“An accident at a nuclear power plant could release radioactive iodine into the environment, which could build up in the thyroid gland,” the Finnish ministry of social affairs and health said.