U.S. radiation drug manufacturers don't have enough of a supply

"We don't have enough to meet the current demand," said Fleming-Wurdak.

Markey has warned that Japan's nuclear accident highlights the vulnerabilities of reactors in the United States. On Monday, Markey called on the Obama administration to fully implement a provision in the Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 to make potassium iodide available for anyone who lives within 20 miles of a nuclear power plant.

The federal government has never purchased enough to meet that standard. There is currently only enough of the medication available for populations living within 10 miles of nuclear reactors in the United States, according to U.S. officials.


Source: The Washington Post