Home / Health / Australia warns of fake rabies vaccine, Abhayrab, in India; makers respond
Australia warns of fake rabies vaccine, Abhayrab, in India; makers respond
Australia's immunisation advisory group says counterfeit batches of rabies vaccine Abhayrab have circulated in India since November 2023, potentially leaving bite victims unprotected
Australia's health department has cautioned travellers about fake rabies vaccines in India. (Photo: AdobeStock)
5 min read Last Updated : Dec 26 2025 | 1:21 PM IST
This report has been updated. Australia has issued a health advisory warning that counterfeit batches of a rabies vaccine have been circulating in India since November 2023. The alert, issued by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), cautions that people vaccinated with the affected brand, Abhayrab, may not be fully protected against rabies, a disease that is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.
The warning has renewed attention on rabies prevention in India, a country that bears one of the world’s highest rabies burdens and continues to report rising dog-bite cases.
According to ATAGI, the concern is that fake vaccines may not contain the correct amount, or any, active ingredient. This means people who received these doses may believe they are protected when they are not, even after following the recommended protocol, which can include administration of rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) in high-risk exposures.
Because Abhayrab is not used in Australia, the advisory primarily targets travellers who were vaccinated in India after November, 2023. Australian authorities have advised such individuals to treat those doses as potentially invalid and replace them with registered vaccines such as Rabipur or Verorab.
Why does an Australian warning matter for India?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India records an estimated 18,000–20,000 rabies deaths each year, most of them following dog bites. This translates to nearly one death every 30 minutes.
Rabies is almost invariably fatal once symptoms appear, and there is no reliable cure. Survival depends almost entirely on prompt and correct post-exposure care, including thorough wound washing, timely vaccination, adherence to the correct schedule, and, in severe bites, the use of rabies immunoglobulin.
What does the recent Thane rabies death highlight?
A recent case involving a six-year-old girl from Thane, who died of rabies despite reportedly receiving four doses of vaccine, has further underscored the vulnerabilities in rabies prevention.
While investigations are ongoing and it is too early to draw conclusions, doctors involved have offered differing accounts. One expert suggested rabies immunoglobulin may not have been administered, while civic health officials maintained that it was.
The case highlights that rabies prevention is not just about “getting vaccinated”, but about receiving the correct vaccine, at the right time, with appropriate supporting treatment. Any break in this chain, such as delays, missed doses, improper storage, poor wound care or potentially counterfeit products, can negate protection.
What should people vaccinated in India do now?
The Australian advisory stresses the importance of keeping records of rabies vaccinations. If a person received Abhayrab after November 2023, or if the vaccine brand administered is unknown, ATAGI recommends consulting a healthcare provider. Doctors may advise replacement doses using a verified rabies vaccine.
Those vaccinated outside India, or those with clear documentation showing use of other recognised rabies vaccines, are not affected by the advisory.
Indian makers of Abhayrab respond
Abhayrub is manufactured by the Human Biologicals Institute, a division of Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL). In a recently released responding statement, the makers said that in January 2025, IIL proactively identified a packaging anomaly in one specific batch (Batch # KA 24014). The company immediately notified Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies, lodged a formal complaint, and worked closely with authorities to ensure swift action. "We are working closely with regulatory authorities and law-enforcement agencies to swiftly curb this batch specific issue, and a formal complaint has been lodged to facilitate investigation," stated the company. It also said that "Abhayrab has been manufactured by IIL since 2000, with more than 210 million doses supplied across India and 40 countries, and continues to hold a 40% market share in India." IIL emphasised that every batch of vaccine manufactured in India is tested and released by the Central Drugs Laboratory (Government of India) before being made available for sale or administration. Supplies made through government institutions and authorised distributors remain safe and of standard quality. Sunil Tiwari, Vice President & Head of Quality Management at IIL, stated that IIL aims to reassure stakeholders that the company's pharmacovigilance and quality systems are robust, and that the public can continue to place confidence in vaccines supplied directly by IIL and its authorised channels.
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