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The wellbeing services county of Vantaa and Kerava begins distributing iodine tablets at maternity and child health clinics starting 28 August 2023. The iodine packets from maternity and child health clinics are intended to protect pregnant people and children under 3 years. Iodine must not be taken until authorities explicitly recommend it.
You don’t need to book a separate appointment to get the iodine tablets. They will be given to clients during pregnancy and when visiting child health clinics with a child under the age of 3. If your first consultation during pregnancy takes place remotely, the iodine tablets will be given to you on your next visit.
The potassium iodide G.L.Pharma 65 mg packet contains 10 tablets. Depending on the dosage, the pack likely has enough iodine tablets for others in the family who need them. If the child has two homes, the iodine tablets will be given to both homes, but not to, say, the cabin.
You will also receive written instructions for taking the correct dose. The tablets are not to be taken immediately upon procurement.
Iodine must not be taken until authorities explicitly recommend it.
Once the iodine tablets have been distributed to the entire target group, the distribution continues when necessary to new clients at maternity health clinics on first consultations during pregnancy and at child health clinics.
Iodine tablets are procured in accordance with the guidelines by The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The iodine tablets are distributed in case of a potential radiation hazard accident at a nuclear power plant. The guidelines are based on the iodine recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO).
An accident at a nuclear power plant could release radioactive iodine into the environment, which could build up in the thyroid gland. This is most harmful to children, who are at greater risk of developing thyroid cancer due to large doses of radiation. Adults are not at the same risk, and the guidelines no longer recommend that people over the age of 40 take iodine tablets in case of a radiation hazard.
For the rest of the population, i.e. children over 3 years and adults up to 40 years of age, selfpreparedness is recommended. Households can purchase iodine tablets from pharmacies. Stocks of iodine tablets should be maintained by renewing out-of-date stocks in the same way as other medicines used by households.