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Health Department Urges Nuke Pill Replacement

Falk Lademann/Flickr

The Vermont Health Department is urging adults who live near the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant to replace their potassium iodide tablets.

The pills are available for anyone who lives or works in the six towns within the emergency planning zone around the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant: Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Halifax, Marlboro and Vernon.

The adult tablets expire at the end of the month. Tablets for children are not expiring and don't need to be replaced.

Radioactive iodine is one of the contaminants that may be released in a nuclear emergency. Potassium iodide helps block radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland.

In April, the Health Department sent a letter with instructions for requesting new doses. People can also contact the Health Department's Brattleboro office.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.