Last Updated: January 1st, 2012

Plan "B" for anyone caught without Potassium Iodide (KI) tablets in a nuclear emergency... Few realize that there are viable alternatives to achieve a thyroid-blocking dose of safe iodine in a nuclear emergency when KI tablets are in short supply or not available in the locale where needed. (Also, to date, there currently aren't enough tablets that have been produced nationally, yet, to protect even 5% of the population!) The following should be of interest to everyone, even those who have already secured a personal family supply of KI tablets, as these Plan "B" alternatives can be shared far and wide with extended family, friends, neighbors and your community-at-large. Especially vital, too, to get this information out to your local doctors, EMS, pharmacists, community leaders AND Congressional Representatives! These two following alternatives could protect many thousands more than all the KI and KIO3 tablets currently available anywhere. #1 - Anyone can buy, without restriction, Potassium Iodide USP at a local chemical supply house (and even some larger photo supply outlets, but make sure it's "USP Grade") or from internet and readily mix up their own Potassium Iodide (KI) solution that is every bit as effective as the tablets. We were also recently reminded by a science teacher, that every town in America likely has a ready and waiting supply of KI sitting in their high school science labs that could protect hundreds of their students and local residents! A single 500 gram bottle of KI (USP, reagent, or chromatographic grade), now already on many of their shelves, could provide 3,846 adult daily doses or 7,692 child (age 3-12) or more for even younger kids, of thyroid-blocking doses! Also, Stanley L. Rapaport, M.D. had shared with me (way back on 2/15/03) that he has been trying to point the following out to the Surgeon General, Homeland Security, and Armed Forces Surgeon Generals. If the government bought KI in bulk, which then is not very expensive and would work out to about .01 cents per child dose, an easy distribution program could be at the ready in every community in the nation! As Dr. Rapaport explains; "Bulk purchases must be repackaged from 100# to appropriate sized packages depending on city size and proposed stockpile locations. There are 3492 adult doses per pound or 6984 children’s doses per pound. Stored in appropriate location viz. pharmacies, fire or police stations. Made up into a solution of 130mg per 5cc. (1 pound of Potassium Iodide to 17.5 liters of water) gives a solution where one teaspoonful equals one adult dose, 1/2 teaspoonful equals a children’s dose and so forth as per schedule below. Dispensed from appropriate sites including the hospital , parking lots, drive bys, etc. in any container as is very stable. Paper cups, drink bottles, with dosage directions. Taken for ten days (even one dose is markedly effective) or as directed via appropriate authorities. Solution is somewhat unpleasant and can be masked by honey, syrup, soft drink, additional water, etc. The solution as made up is equal to 130mg per 5cc (1 teaspoonful) Adult dose is 1 teaspoonful Ages 3-18 1/2 teaspoonful Ages 1 month to 3 years 1/4 teaspoonful Age 1 month or less 1/8 teaspoonful" * * Since this was first written in 2003, the FDA doses for children has changed slightly to the following... Children over 12 years to 18 years: 5ml or 1 teaspoonful every day (130 mg) who weigh at least 150 pounds Children over 12 years to 18 years: 2.5ml or 1/2 teaspoonful every day (65 mg) who weigh less than 150 pounds Children over 3 years to 12 years: 2.5ml or 1/2 teaspoonful every day (65 mg) Children over 1 month to 3 years: 1.25ml or 1/4 teaspoonful every day (32.5 mg) Babies at birth to 1 month: 0.625ml or 1/8 teaspoonful every day (16.25 mg) Pregnant or breastfeeding women, or babies under 1 month of age: Take as directed above and call a doctor as soon as possible. Repeat dosing should be avoided. It is recommended that thyroid function be checked in babies less than 1 month of age that take KI. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should also be checked by a doctor if repeat dosing is necessary. Although these precautions should be taken, the benefits of short-term use of KI to block uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland far exceed its chances of side effects. As Dr. Rapaport details above, this is all too easy to have in-place and ready to go, and rightly deserves serious consideration by our government officials tasked with safeguarding public health at all levels; federal, state, and municipal. Most locales at risk of exposure would have enough time to do a quick drive-through ad-hoc set-up dispensing of it because radioactive iodine is dangerous far downwind and it would take time for the wind to carry it into many communities well downwind of ground zero. There would be enough time to save many, IF powdered or crystal KI had been pre-positioned! Right now, there have not been enough KI tablets produced in all the country to cover even 5% of the population, and the KI, IF pre-positioned in every community with a simple set of instructions, would fill this void and potentially save 10's of thousands of America's children from future thyroid cancer. This is clearly a legitimate Federal Government public health responsibility, as radioactive fallout travelling on the wind will not respect state borders. The Federal Govt has the opportunity here to be seen as heros to have addressed this issue in advance, or risk being condemned as derelict in their duties if they had failed to, when the need arises. (Most all other developed nations in the world had acquired large emergency stocks of KI after Chernobyl.) Even two years after 9/11, the total Federal Government stockpile consisted of 1 million doses held by the CDC and another 600,000 doses (half of which we sold them) held by the Office of Emergency Preparedness. That's only enough for 1.6 million people, for ONE day, and then it's all gone! And, while that national stockpile has grown since, it's still no where near enough to protect very many, nor is it likely to be where it will be most needed when the time comes! In the meantime, we've stockpiled here at KI4U, Inc. an emergency reserve of over 6 million adult doses or over 12 million child doses, in the form of our KI vials, where each makes up a KI solution sufficient for 200 adult doses or, at least, 400 child doses, as seen here. This reserve is for if the govt had failed to, and/or everybody had run out of KI tablets, in a future nuclear crisis. On the local level, community leaders need to pull together their resourceful science teachers, local pharmacists and doctors to fully explore the resources already at hand and available for any future nuclear emergency that might befall their locale. You might could be responsible for saving many in your community from future thyroid cancer by simply bringing this to the attention of these local authorities and experts! There are two kinds of Potassium Iodide (KI) solutions that can be made. Saturated and anything less than saturated, and both of these two simple formulas and dosing recommendations, along with more details, are at the Potassium Iodide Anti-Radiation Pill FAQ at the Q&A section entitled: How Do You Make a Potassium Iodide (KI) Solution? #2 - While it is poisonous to ingest (drink/swallow) elemental iodine, like what's in tincture of iodine, or Povidone-iodine solutions (like the Betadine® brand solution), besides being largely ineffective for thyroid-blocking and very dangerous, perhaps even fatal to have a child drink any of them, they can be used topically, on the skin to great effect. There has been some research with both humans and dogs into topically (on the skin) applied Povidone-Iodine (10%) solution (such as Betadine® or Povidex® solutions), and also with tincture of iodine, to test the absorption rates of iodine directly, and safely, through the skin. According to research by Health Physicist Ken Miller, Hershey Medical Center, using 24 healthy adult male subjects, an adult could get a blocking dose of stable iodine by painting 8 ml of a 2 percent tincture of Iodine on the abdomen or forearm approximately 2 hours prior to I-131 contamination. The abstract of his study titled "Effectiveness of Skin Absorption of Tincture of I in Blocking Radioiodine from the Human Thyroid Gland" from Health Physics, June 1989, Vol. 56, No. 6, pages 911-914, states: "Although there were large variations within each subject group in regard to serum-I levels and thyroid uptakes, the increase in serum-I concentration after topical-I application was effective in reducing the thyroid uptake of I131. The authors conclude that in the absence of KI, most humans would benefit from topical application of tincture of-I, and that in some the effectiveness would equal that of oral KI." More details (and links to this research) on these topical applications (readily available at your local pharmacy) can be found at the Potassium Iodide Anti-Radiation Pill FAQ at the Q&A section entitled: Is Iodized Salt, Tincture of Iodine, Water Purification Tabs, or other Iodine Sources Effective? Again, here too, you might could be responsible for saving many in your community from future thyroid cancer by simply bringing this research to the attention of your friends, neighbors, relatives, local officials, pharmacists and doctors! #3 - EDUCATION of the public to basic nuclear Civil Defense is essential! Promoting the public and private distribution, and publication in local newspapers, of WHAT TO DO IF A NUCLEAR DISASTER IS IMMINENT! can literally empower millions of Americans with the life-saving knowledge to respond correctly in a future nuclear crisis. Start with your own local community today to get this vital information out via your local government, media, churches and community organizations. Banish panic, as you help your community embrace these simple life-saving preparations! And, for the current concerns of the Japanese nuke plants, read and share When An ill Wind Blows From Afar! (Info & Preps for Radiation Here from Japan!) Remember, too, as often mentioned on the FAQ, touch bases with your personal physician now to assure that there isn't any reason why you, or your children, shouldn't take KI, or use iodine topically on your skin, in a future nuclear emergency. (An iodine allergy is the most often disqualifying condition, though there are others, and only your doctor knows your full medical history and current medications to make that determination.) Asking them now, before any emergency would likely make that impossible to do so, is just another part of your prudent preparations here. Shane Connor KI4U, Inc.   A Joint Statement from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Thyroid Association, The Endocrine Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine I've highlighted some of it below. - Shane Connor RADIATION RISKS TO HEALTH: A Joint Statement from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, the American Thyroid Association, The Endocrine Society and the Society of Nuclear Medicine March 18, 2011 The recent nuclear reactor accident in Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami has raised fears of radiation exposure to populations in North America from the potential plume of radioactivity crossing the Pacific Ocean. The principal radiation source of concern is radioactive iodine including iodine-131, a radioactive isotope that presents a special risk to health because iodine is concentrated in the thyroid gland and exposure of the thyroid to high levels of radioactive iodine may lead to development of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer years later. During the Chernobyl nuclear plant accident in 1986, people in the surrounding region were exposed to radioactive iodine principally from intake of food and milk from contaminated farmlands. As demonstrated by the Chernobyl experience, pregnant women, fetuses, infants and children are at the highest risk for developing thyroid cancer whereas adults over age 20 are at negligible risk. Radioiodine uptake by the thyroid can be blocked by taking potassium iodide (KI) pills or solution, most importantly in these sensitive populations. However, KI should not be taken in the absence of a clear risk of exposure to a potentially dangerous level of radioactive iodine because potassium iodide can cause allergic reactions, skin rashes, salivary gland inflammation, hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism in a small percentage of people. Since radioactive iodine decays rapidly, current estimates indicate there will not be a hazardous level of radiation reaching the United States from this accident. When an exposure does warrant KI to be taken, it should be taken as directed by physicians or public health authorities until the risk for significant exposure to radioactive iodine dissipates, but probably for no more than 1-2 weeks. With radiation accidents, the greatest risk is to populations close to the radiation source. While some radiation may be detected in the United States and its territories in the Pacific as a result of this accident, current estimates indicate that radiation amounts will be little above baseline atmospheric levels and will not be harmful to the thyroid gland or general health. We discourage individuals needlessly purchasing or hoarding of KI in the United States. Moreover, since there is not a radiation emergency in the United States or its territories, we do not support the ingestion of KI prophylaxis at this time. Our professional societies will continue to monitor potential risks to health from this accident and will issue amended advisories as warranted.