People living within a 50km radius of Swiss nuclear power plants will receive a fresh stock of iodine tablets over the coming weeks and until next April.
The government has purchased 12 million packs of iodine tablets. The budget for the iodine distribution campaign is CHF34 million of which CHF11 million will be financed by the nuclear power plant operators, who will pay CHF 1.22 million a year into government’s general fund from 2021 to 2029.
The Army Pharmacy is the only administrative unit of the government to hold Swissmedic authorisations for the manufacture, import, wholesale and export of iodine tablets. It is also responsible for their acquisition, storage, distribution and disposal.
For distribution, it collaborates with the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) and Swiss Post. Potassium iodide tablets can be stored for a maximum of ten years. They must be replaced and disposed of properly after this period.
These tablets may only be taken on the orders of the authorities, in particular the National Emergency Operations Centre (CENAL). These tablets prevent the accumulation of radioactive iodine in the thyroid gland, thereby preventing the development of thyroid cancer. The tablets should only be taken in the event of a serious nuclear accident in which radioactivity is released.
Fewer at risk
The majority of the cantons of Bern, Jura, Fribourg and Neuchâtel are no longer affected. This is because most inhabitants are no longer part of the compulsory distribution radius, as the Mühleberg power plant, which was decommissioned in 2019, is currently being dismantled. The preventive distribution area will now only cover a 50 km radius around the nuclear plants Beznau I/II and Leibstadt in canton Aargau, as well as Gösgen in canton Solothurn.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
In Switzerland, New Year brings ‘burka ban’ and pension hikes
Switzerland adopts EU rules to curb illegal air entry into Schengen
This content was published on
The Swiss government has approved EU rules on sharing passenger information to prevent air passengers from illegally entering the Schengen area.
Swiss skier dies after accident on Bernese Oberland slopes
This content was published on
An 80-year-old Swiss man died on Monday following an accident on a marked piste in the Adelboden-Lenk ski area in the Bernese Oberland.
International and Swiss experts call for new obesity guidelines
This content was published on
A group of global experts, including Swiss doctors, has issued a report calling for a new definition of obesity that goes beyond BMI.
Iran and EU discuss nuclear issues, Russia and the Middle East in Switzerland
This content was published on
After meeting with French, German, and British representatives on Monday, Iran continued its talks with the EU representative in Geneva.
This content was published on
Lucerne-based steelmaker Swiss Steel has confirmed it will cut 130 jobs in Emmenbrücke, despite the emergency aid promised by Switzerland’s parliament.
Swiss SGS and French Bureau Veritas eye $35 billion merger
This content was published on
The Swiss inspection firm SGS has confirmed it is in talks with the French company Bureau Veritas about a potential merger of nearly $35 billion.
European committee raises alarm over police violence in western Switzerland
This content was published on
A Council of Europe committee is concerned about police practices in western Switzerland, citing “allegations of physical mistreatment” against detainees.
WEF: Trump to speak virtually, Zelensky to appear in person
This content was published on
US President-elect Donald Trump will attend this year's annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos via video conference. He is scheduled to speak on January 23.
Coop washes its hands of The Body Shop in Switzerland
This content was published on
The Body Shop is facing closure in Switzerland. Retailer Coop is no longer extending the franchise agreement for its cosmetics subsidiary.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.