Students Sick After Taking Deworming Tabs, Govt Says Not to Worry

The government said there is “no need to worry or panic” as this medicine has “mild side-effects”.

School children admitted to hospital after beind administered deworming tablets in Bihar Sharif, on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Seeking to play down reports of around 200 children falling sick after consuming deworming tablets, the government, on Thursday, said there is “no need to worry or panic” as this medicine has “mild side-effects” on one to two per cent of the children for a short period of time.

The affected children in Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana and Chhattisgarh were taken to hospitals as they complained of uneasiness after being administered the tablets on the occasion of National Deworming Day.

The medicine sometimes causes mild side-effects, particularly if it’s taken on an empty stomach or if there are many worms inside a child’s gut. Symptoms like vomiting or nausea may occur in one or two per cent cases.

<b>J P Nadda, Union Health Minister</b>

Around 27 crore children were administered deworming tablets on Wednesday.

Under the nationwide deworming programme, schoolchildren aged between 1 and 19 years were given Albendazole tablets.