News and Analysis

Australia has issued an advisory warning travellers about counterfeit batches of the rabies vaccine Abhayrab circulating in India since November 2023. The alert, issued by the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI), states that individuals who received the fake vaccine may not be fully protected against rabies and should consider replacement doses with vaccines registered in Australia.
The advisory applies to people vaccinated in India from 1 November 2023 who received Abhayrab or a rabies vaccine of unknown brand. ATAGI advised these individuals to consult healthcare providers for replacement doses, such as Rabipur or Verorab. People who completed a full rabies vaccination course in other countries, including Australia, or who have documented proof of a different vaccine brand are not affected.
Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), the manufacturer of Abhayrab, said the alert was “over-cautionary and misplaced,” clarifying that only one batch showed a packaging anomaly in January 2025 and has been removed from circulation. The company emphasised that all genuine vaccines are tested and cleared by the Central Drugs Laboratory before release and highlighted that Abhayrab has been produced since 2000, supplying over 210 million doses across India and 40 countries.
In July, Dr Manoj Murhekar of the ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology reported that India had recorded a 75% reduction in rabies-related deaths. The government is targeting the elimination of rabies deaths by 2030 through widespread vaccination of dogs and improving access to vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments for humans. Dr Murhekar said the objective is to ensure rabies vaccines are available in every hospital nationwide, strengthening prevention and emergency care.
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