General Discussion

Marc Johnson, a virologist and professor at the University of Missouri, revealed Monday that his institution’s supply of a critical medical resource will be “cut in half” as a result of the Trump administration’s war against Iran, and it carries potentially far-reaching consequences for medical facilities nationwide.

“I hope no one needs an MRI this year,” Johnson wrote in a social media post on X to their nearly 40,000 followers. “The world's largest producer of liquified helium is in Qatar and is shut off. We just got a notice that our supply for the year will be at least cut in half. No one could have predicted this (unless they thought about it).”

The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which President Donald Trump initiated late last month by authorizing Operation Epic Fury, has predictably caused an oil shortage, sending energy prices skyrocketing. However, the war has also sparked a major shortage of helium, which plays a critical role in the function of MRI scanners thanks to its “extremely low boiling point.” Beyond imaging, helium also plays a role in other medical applications, including surgery and research.

“We got a notification from our gas supplier that they would be able to fulfill less than 50% of our regular consumption, and a message from the University hospital saying that this is particularly problematic for MRIs,” Johnson wrote in a separate social media post. “The helium shortage is real and there will be consequences.”