A recent international health warning issued by the Australian government has drawn attention to concerns over counterfeit rabies vaccines in India.
On December 19, 2025, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) issued a public health advisory, informing travellers that counterfeit batches of the human rabies vaccine Abhayrab have been circulating in India since 2023.
What did the advisory state?
The advisory cautioned that people who received this vaccine may not be fully protected against rabies and are advised to get replacement doses to ensure they are adequately protected.
What is rabies?
As per Mayo Clinic, rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite.
The fake vaccine, as per the cautionary statement, differs from the registered vaccine in formulation, packaging, labelling, and manufacturing.
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As a precautionary measure, the Australian government asked travellers who got the vaccine to consider consulting a health care provider because it is difficult to confirm whether a genuine or fake product was used, and they can help them identify invalid doses and complete a valid course.
"Where a vaccine was administered in India, replace any dose(s) of Abhayrab® or any doses where the vaccine brand was unknown, with dose(s) of a valid rabies vaccine registered in Australia (Rabipur or Verorab)," mentioned the official statement.
The vaccine manufacturer, the Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), said the advisory in its present form has the potential to create anxiety and mistrust among the public and healthcare practitioners. It asked the Australian government to consider reviewing its advisory, reported PTI.
Strongly refuting the advisory, IIL mentioned that it had proactively identified a packaging anomaly in one specific batch in January 2025, notified Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies, lodged a formal complaint, and worked closely with authorities to ensure swift action.
"This goes on to affirm the quality and efficacy of our vaccine, when procured from our authorised channels. There is no instance of any other counterfeit batch in the market beyond Batch No. KA24014," the IIL stressed.