2024-09-20 15:03:19
Source: Inserm, Ministry of the Interior, INRS
A new campaign for the preventive distribution of stable iodine tablets was launched in September. The tablets can be collected from pharmacies in each municipality located within a 10 km radius of certain French nuclear sites. Individuals, establishments open to the public, businesses and communities are concerned. To find out if you are concerned, Click here.
#Prevention | Launch of the iodine distribution campaign in Indre-et-Loire 💊
Since September 15, the campaign for the renewal and provision of iodine tablets has been launched.
🚨This tablet is a medicine, it should only be taken in the event of an alert linked to a… pic.twitter.com/79MuvZTXue
— Prefect of Indre-et-Loire (@Prefet37) September 20, 2024
What is iodine?
Iodine is a trace element essential to our body, particularly for brain development and general metabolism. The thyroid gland naturally stores iodine where it participates in the synthesis of thyroid hormones. It is found daily in enriched salt, seafood, fish and seaweed. But also in the meat of farm animals fed with iodine-enriched feed.
What are iodine tablets used for?
The tablets are indicated in the event of a release of radioactive iodine into the atmosphere during a nuclear accident. Stable iodine is used to protect populations exposed to radioactive iodine.
Stable or radioactive, iodine naturally binds to the thyroid, which does not differentiate. Whether breathed in or swallowed, radioactive iodine released into the environment binds to the thyroid and increases the risk of thyroid cancer. The idea behind taking stable iodine is to saturate the thyroid gland so that radioactive iodine cannot bind to it.
People most at risk
The preventive distribution campaign is aimed at the entire population. However, certain groups of people are at greater risk of developing thyroid cancer:
Newborns and children whose thyroid is still developing Pregnant and breastfeeding women (risks for the fetus and baby)
Fetuses, newborns and children are in fact more exposed because in adults, the gland fixes 25 to 30% of the incorporated iodine. In children, the dose delivered is higher. “About 6,500 cases of thyroid cancer in children were documented in Chernobyl. In adults, the thyroid is more mature and has a very slow natural development and the risk of thyroid cancer is therefore much lower,” explains Inserm.
If preventive distribution is aimed at all populations, Inserm stressed in 2022 that the massive intake of stable iodine after the age of 40 could have negative effects greater than the benefits. “Indeed, it can lead to a deregulation of the organ and its production of hormones. For example, by making the thyroid overactive (hyperthyroidism), heart rate and blood pressure disorders can occur as well as excess anxiety or hot flashes,” explains the scientific research organization.
When should I take the iodine tablet?
Stable iodine should only be taken when instructed to do so by the prefect. It should be taken a few hours before the passage of a radioactive cloud, and no later than eight hours after. If taken too long before, the medication loses its effectiveness completely and no longer protects the thyroid.
“In France, in line with the recommendations of the IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency – and the WHO, the threshold from which the thyroid must be protected is set at 50 millisieverts. When the experts’ predictions exceed this threshold, the prefect gives the order to take the tablet,” explains the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (INRS). If the tablet is taken too early, the thyroid will no longer be saturated when the cloud passes.
How much iodine to take?
From 12 years old and for adults and pregnant women: 2 tablets of 65 mg are necessary For children from 3 to 122 years old: 1 iodine tablet Babies from 1 month to 3 years old: half an iodine tablet Newborns (up to 30 days): a quarter of an iodine tablet
Please note : stable iodine only protects against radioactive iodine. It does not protect against other radioactive elements that can also be released into the atmosphere during a nuclear disaster; uranium, cesium, strontium. In this case, sheltering and evacuation of populations is recommended.
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