Attachment A Radiological Event Messages for Public Health Workers
Message 1
How can I protect myself and my family?
Listen to local authorities for specific instructions.
Shelter in place until you receive information about the incident and safety measures.
Local officials will provide information about evacuation procedures if it is necessary.
Do not forget pets in your emergency plans.
If you suspect you have been contaminated, there are simple decontamination steps you can take.
Remove clothes before entering the home (or shelter) to limit contamination.
Taking off outer clothing will remove most of external contamination.
Wash exposed skin with soap and lukewarm water to remove remaining contamination from skin and hair.
Try to minimize contact with other people or things to help control the spread of contamination.
If you are pregnant or a nursing mother, special precautions may be needed.
Protective actions that will protect pregnant women will also protect their unborn babies.
Nursing mothers should listen to guidance from public health officials on breastfeeding.
If possible, it may be necessary to change to baby formula.
Message 2
What are the short-term health effects of radiation?
The effect of radiation on the body depends on the amount of radiation.
Adverse effects can range from mild effects, such as skin reddening, to serious effects such as cancer and death.
The adverse effects depend on the amount of radiation absorbed by the body (the dose), the type of radiation, the route of exposure, and the length of time a person was exposed.
Exposure to very large doses of radiation may cause death within a few days or months.
There are treatments available for people suffering from radiation sickness.
Message 3
What are the long- term health effects of radiation?
The adverse health effects of exposure may not be apparent for many years.
Exposure to lower doses of radiation may lead to an increased risk of developing cancer or other adverse health effects later in life.
Long term monitoring programs will be put in place.
Message 4
What is the difference between radiation and contamination?
Both people and objects can be contaminated.
If radioactive material is on or outside the body, it is external contamination.
If radioactive material is on the inside of the body, it is internal contamination.
People who are externally contaminated can become internally contaminated if radioactive material gets into their bodies by inhalation or ingestion.
Both external and internal contamination can be assessed and mitigated.
Simple decontamination techniques can remove most if not all external contamination.
In nearly all cases, external and internal contamination is not immediately life threatening.
For a number of radionuclides, there are medical countermeasures available to treat internal contamination.
If you suspect you are contaminated, try to minimize contact with other people or things to help control the spread of contamination.
Being irradiated is similar to getting an x-ray.
Getting irradiated does not contaminate a person.
If the amount of radiation is significant it could be immediately life threatening.
There are testing methods available to evaluate the amount of radiation the person has received.
Message 5
What is my professional (public health) role in a radiological or nuclear emergency?
The public health community will play an important role in responding to a radiological terrorism event.
Public health officials will perform most of the same functions they would handle during any disaster response.
In addition, public health officials will be responsible for population monitoring to identify, screen, measure, and monitor populations (people and possibly even their pets) for exposure to or contamination from radioactive materials.
Psychosocial issues among people in the community, particularly in a radiological event, could create additional strain on public health and medical resources.
Traditional public health practitioners will need to work closely with radiation experts in their state and local agencies as well as federal partners to address response and recovery issues.
Public health officials at the federal, state, and local levels will work together to protect the public’s health.
CDC is developing guidance and training for the public health workforce on radiological emergency preparedness.
It is important to foster collaboration with state and local radiation experts in the planning process before a radiological event takes place.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Message 1 |
| Author | kxp1 |
| Last Modified By | kxp1 |
| File Modified | 2007-12-20 |
| File Created | 2007-09-26 |