The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Tuesday asked the population under 40 to purchase potassium iodide tablets as a preventive measure in case of risk of nuclear radiation.
As there are currently no iodine pills for sale in Finland for children under the age of three, health centers must import them and distribute them among parents and pregnant women, this ministry said.
Potassium iodide is an iodine salt that prevents the uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid, which can cause cancer or damage to the gland when the body is exposed to nuclear radiation.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people up to 40 years of age and pregnant women consume iodine tablets in the event of a nuclear accident to protect the fetus.
Finnish officials reminded that the most effective way to reduce radiation exposure is to take shelter indoors, while consumption of potassium iodide is an “additional precaution”.
They also asked citizens not to take the pills on their own and to wait for civil protection officials to initiate an emergency notification if necessary.
Many Finns stockpiled iodine tablets last spring after Russia launched a military attack on Ukraine for fear of a possible nuclear conflict.
Sharing a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, Finland has developed a comprehensive plan for decades to prepare its population for possible wars, nuclear accidents and natural disasters.
The Scandinavian country has a huge network of civil protection shelters, large reserves of strategic supplies, and emergency protocols to deal with almost any contingency.