live elsewhere for about three years before they could return to their
homes.
In reviewing the data that indicates that the Utirik people were exposed
to considerably less radiation than the people of Rongelap, one must conclude that the dose estimates are made at the time were essentially
correct, , with the exception of the dose to the childrens thyroids which
I shall address later.
This conclusion is based not only on the actual dose
estimates from measurements on the island.
Even more important is that
the Utirik people showed only very minor, if any, symptoms of early disease
from exposure, indicating that the exposure must have been
considerably
less than was seen on Rongelap island.
Following the return to the island, it was decided that regular medical
examinations of the exposed people of Utirik were to be done.
Such
examinations wereconducted at regular intervals were eondueted to
assure that they had not been harmed. Examinations were done in 1957,
1959, 1963, 1969, 1972 and 1975.
In addition to complete physical
examinations, thyroid examinations and sick calls were held every year.
Adise; In recent years there have been
United States doctors visits -have
visited Utirik every three months.
In conducting these-medieal examinatierns;
In addition to examining
the people who had been exposed to radiation, the doctors selected a
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