Fears of a Russian nuclear attack prompt a rush to acquire radiation-blocking medicines

Fears that Russia would initiate a nuclear war have prompted panic-buying of radiation-blocking potassium iodide in the United States and Europe, with the difficult-to-find tablets selling for more than ten times the average price on sites like eBay.

After being inundated with demand, the major distributors of the tablets, which can reverse the effects of radiation exposure, informed CNN Business that they had rushed to produce more.

“This has coincided with the turmoil in Ukraine,” Chris Sampson, a representative for the London-based BTG, which sells Thyrosafe in the United States, said.

And it’s not only terrified folks who are driving the bulk selling of the tablets, also known by their chemical formula KI.

“The vast majority of our product is marketed to governments, public health organisations, and the military, who handle stockpiles,” Sampson explained. “All of the orders have been fulfilled.”

Anbex, a New York-based firm, claimed demand for their potassium iodide pills began the day before Russia launched war on Ukraine on February 24 and persisted until three days later, when the Kremlin issued an unsettling command to put its nuclear forces on “high alert.”

“The great run began on February 23 and ended on February 28. “We sold out of everything we had,” Troy Jones, Anbex’s vice president of sales and marketing, told CNN.

“We’ve probably sold as much in the last five days as we would normally sell in a half-year,” he added.

The high demand has generated a resale market on sites like as eBay, where people are willing to pay top dollar for the tablets.

Packets of 14 pills, which normally retail for $13.99, are available for $149.95 when purchased today.

One Brooklyn-based vendor is even trying his luck with a five-pack offer priced at $999.99, though no bids have been placed.

According to the FDA, “the usefulness of KI as a selective blocker of thyroid radioiodine absorption is well documented.”
The chemical “inundates the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine, preventing radioactive molecules from being absorbed.”

However, the FDA emphasises that the formula “primarily serves to block the absorption of radioactive iodine into the thyroid gland” and “is not a general radioprotective agent,” while also warning of potential allergic responses.

Despite placing its nuclear forces on high alert, the Kremlin has stated that it does not anticipate its conflict with Ukraine to escalate to nuclear levels.

According to CNN Business, the White House, which similarly minimised the threat, made no comment on potassium iodide sales.