Iodine pills in short supply after Finland updates guideline

HELSINKI (AP) — Many pharmacies in Finland have run out of iodine tablets a day after the Nordic country’s health ministry recommended that households purchase a single dose in a case of radiation hazard emergency amid increasing fears of a nuclear incident due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Finnish Health Ministry said Tuesday that “an accident at a nuclear power plant could release radioactive iodine into the environment, which could build up in the thyroid gland.” Citizens in Finland rushed to stock up the medicine, and drug wholesaler said their stockpiles were emptied.  The ministry said the iodine tablet recommendation is limited to those aged 3-40 because of the potential risks that radiation exposure poses to that age group.