Australia has warned its citizens who received rabies shots in India to check if they need replacement doses. The UK and the US have issued similar alerts.
The concern centers on counterfeit batches of Abhayrab, a rabies vaccine made by Human Biologicals Institute, a division of Indian Immunologicals. Health officials believe fake versions have circulated in India since November 2023. This matters because rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms appear.
Rabies spreads through the saliva of infected animals. Symptoms range from fever and headache to fear of water, hallucinations, and paralysis. A vaccine after exposure can prevent the disease. People need rabies shots when dogs, cats, monkeys, or bats bite or scratch them, or when these animals lick open wounds.
What is the issue around Abhayrab?
India reported 6,644 suspected rabies cases and deaths between 2012 and 2022. The World Health Organisation puts the real number much higher. It estimates rabies causes 18,000 to 20,000 deaths in India each year. Children under 15 account for one-third to two-thirds of these deaths. India makes up 36 percent of global rabies deaths.
The UK issued an alert in late October. It said health agencies were tracking travelers who got rabies vaccines in India from November 2023 onward. Officials wanted to determine if these people needed more shots.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised an alarm in November. “A case of rabies has been reported in the US in a traveler from India,” the agency stated. It noted that counterfeit Abhayrab vaccines had appeared in major Indian cities. The CDC warned that fake vaccines might not work and could contain harmful substances.
Indian Immunologicals responded on Saturday. The company said it found one specific counterfeit batch in January 2025. The batch number was KA24014. “The company immediately notified the Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies,” the statement said. The company insisted no other fake batches existed in the market.
How did authorities find this?
Officials detected counterfeit vaccines in Delhi, Mumbai, Agra, Lucknow, Kanpur, and Patna. Police conducted raids in Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra based on complaints.
Authorities seized the fake products and sent them for testing. The Central Drug Testing Laboratory in Kasauli tested the vaccines. This government lab checks all vaccines before they enter the Indian market. The test found the vaccines contained genuine product.
An expert familiar with the investigation explained what happened. “The outer package of the product was changed to divert the government supply to the open market,” the expert said. Someone repackaged real vaccines to sell them illegally.
Abhayrab is widely available in India. Both national and international companies make rabies vaccines, but Abhayrab holds 40 percent of the market. Indian Immunologicals claims to be the world’s largest rabies vaccine producer. The company has made the product for 25 years.
A senior company official expressed concern about the advisories. “The challenge with such advisories is that it may lead to more vaccine hesitancy within the country,” the official said. The official worried that people in rural areas might avoid the only available vaccine. “We want to let people know that the vaccine is safe and effective.”
The November 2023 cutoff date comes from the date on the faulty packaging. The company actually made the genuine vaccines with the same batch number in 2024.
Who is at risk?
Dr. MK Sudarshan is founder president of the Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies in India. He tried to calm fears. “Fortunately, people in India are usually administered five doses of the vaccine following an animal bite,” Dr. Sudarshan said. He explained that even if one vaccine is fake, the other doses and immunoglobulin would still protect the person.
The World Health Organisation requires three doses of intramuscular vaccine or two doses of intradermal vaccine. Patients must also receive immunoglobulin on the day of the bite. People who received vaccines before only need two booster doses.
Rabies fears remain widespread across India. In Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district, more than 250 villagers rushed to get anti-rabies shots after a buffalo died in Pipraul village. The buffalo’s milk had been used to make raita served at a ceremony attended by hundreds. Villagers claimed a stray dog had bitten the buffalo before it died.
Dr. Sarvesh Kumar, Superintendent of the Community Health Centre in Ujhani, Badaun, confirmed the vaccinations. “In the last two days, around 250 people from Pipraul village received doses of the anti-rabies vaccine at our centre. On Friday alone, 110 people were administered the injection,” Dr. Kumar said. Medical teams counseled villagers that rabies cannot spread through consuming milk from an infected animal.
Deepak Kumar, husband of village head Renu Devi, said residents were not clearly informed about this fact. “In the last two days, since December 26, more than 200 villagers have taken anti-rabies injections; the rest are in the process of getting vaccinated,” Kumar said. The incident shows how rabies anxiety drives demand for vaccines across rural India, making the availability of genuine vaccines even more critical.
Have there been recent cases of vaccine failure?
Kerala reported a spike in rabies cases in 2022. Some people suspected ineffective vaccines caused the deaths. Several victims had received rabies shots before they died.
The Union health ministry formed a committee to investigate. The committee found that faulty wound washing and missed immunoglobulin doses caused the cases. Immunoglobulin is critical for category 3 bites. These are multiple bites or scratches that break the skin, or broken skin that an animal has licked.
The committee identified another problem. The availability of immunoglobulin and vaccines was insufficient in many areas.
Dr. Sudarshan explained rare vaccine failures. “In rare cases, rabies might happen despite vaccination if the wound has not been cleaned properly and on time,” he said. He added that bites in nerve-rich areas are especially dangerous. The virus can travel directly into the nervous system before the vaccine takes effect.
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