Romanians picked up only 1% of potassium iodide pills used to block radiation

Romanians have picked up only 1% of the potassium iodide pills which can be used by those under 40 to block the effects of nuclear radiation.

Despite explicit nuclear threats coming from the Kremlin in the context of a collapsing Russian front in Ukraine, Romanians have not visited the pharmacy to pick up the iodide pills made available to them by the Ministry of Health. Roughly 30 million such pills were acquired by the ministry and sent to specific pharmacies around the country. Those who wish can pick them up with a prescription from their family doctor.

The Romanian Ministry of Health ran a national campaign over the summer aiming to distribute potassium iodide pills to the population. The pills are to be administered in case of exposure to a radioactive cloud that can spread tens or even hundreds of km from the site of a nuclear incident and can benefit those under 40 years old the most. At the same time, the authorities constantly reminded people to not take the pills unless they were instructed to do so by public health officials, as they can have harmful effects.

Critics say that the fact that only 1% of the pills were picked up is proof of the failure of the campaign. In reply, health minister Alexandru Rafila said that other EU countries have run similar campaigns, and blamed Romanians’ lack of prevention when it comes to their health. The minister, cited by Digi24, also noted that the number of people who requested the pills jumped two hundred-fold in August relative to the month before.

Potassium iodide can block one type of radioactive material, namely radioactive iodine, from being absorbed by the thyroid, according to the CDC. Without it, radiation released into the environment can enter the body through breathing and may cause thyroid cancer.

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