2024-01-22 14:41:00
To protect yourself from the effects of a nuclear accident, keeping iodine tablets at home remains the easiest precaution to adopt, recalled the National Crisis Center (NCCN) on Monday. Citizens living near a nuclear installation are particularly concerned.
The administration of stable, non-radioactive iodine saturates the thyroid with this chemical element. The gland thus saturated is protected, in the event of a nuclear accident, once morest iodine that is unstable, radioactive and dangerous to health.
The NCCN, which is launching a new prevention campaign on Monday, emphasizes, however, that the intake must take place at the right time and must always be the subject of an official recommendation from the authorities.
Who should get it?
In Belgium, it is possible to pick up iodine tablets in pharmacies, preventatively and free of charge. All residents and community leaders in a 20 kilometer zone around a nuclear power plant are encouraged to obtain one. The same applies throughout the country to children up to 18 years old and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
More generally and independently of the nuclear risk, adults over 40 are also encouraged to discuss the possible use of iodine with their treating physician. For the most cautious who already have a stock at home, it is recommended to check its validity: if the tablets remain consumable for at least 10 years, any box produced until 2011 can be exchanged free of charge with a pharmacist.
The risk of a nuclear accident remains low
Belgium has six nuclear sites: Doel, Mol, Dessel, Geel, Fleurus and Tihange. Two border installations should also be considered: the French power plant of Chooz, adjoining the province of Namur, and that of Borssele, in the Netherlands, near the province of East Flanders.
The risk of an accident at any of these sites is currently considered low. More information can be found on the dedicated NCCN portal.
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