The federal government has known about the safety and efficacy of KI for years.  In 1978, the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration issued the following:

“The commissioner concludes that potassium iodide is safe and effective for use as a thyroid-blocking agent in a radiation emergency under certain specified conditions because it has been widely used for many years…”

At the direction of Congress, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report which included the following recommendation:
KI has been widely and effectively used by other government to protect their populations. For example:

“…the use of KI reported by the Pripyat population was credited with permissible iodine content found in 97% of the 206 evacuees test at one relocation center.”
Second example

KI is safe, effective, and economical.  The expense would be minimal, especially when compared to the cost of doing nothing.  A single tablet costs less than 30 cents.  A six-pack of KI tablets costs between $1.50 and $1.80 per pack and has a shelf life of 10 years. The entire nation could be protected with an expenditure of $400 to $500 million.

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