Will the Helium Shortage Pose a Health Care Threat?

April 24, 2026

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has radiologists and other clinicians around the nation monitoring supplies of helium used for medical imaging machines.

The issue is the latest to show the global nature of the nation’s health care supply chain and the need to monitor potential vulnerabilities.

Here’s a primer on what you need to know:

• Health care impact:  Helium is used across many sectors, but it is a primary component in many magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to cool superconducting magnets in machines.
• • The use of helium for chip production also raises attention amid the growth of AI applications in health care.
• Background:  This is the fifth time the nation has faced a helium shortage. The United States is the largest supplier for helium, while Qatar is the second largest producer globally.
• • A 2022 shortage stemmed from “a combination of pre-existing market conditions and stress from the Russia-Ukraine war,” the U.S. International Trade Commission noted in a recent report.
  • During 2017, the blockade of Qatar cut off 30 percent of the global supply, the commission said.
• Bottom line:  “Supply chain vulnerabilities are particularly acute when production of key inputs is geographically concentrated or limited to a small number of suppliers,” U.S. Pharmacopeia noted in recent analysis.

Increasing awareness about potential supply chain vulnerabilities is a key part of emergency preparedness. For additional information, contact HAP’s emergency management team for more information.