Australia warns on counterfeit Abhayrab vaccine

The event centers around an advisory issued by the Australia — Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation warning travelers about counterfeit batches of the Abhayrab anti-rabies vaccine circulating in India since November 2023. The advisory recommends that Australian travelers who received the vaccine in India after this date consider their vaccination invalid and seek re-vaccination. Indian Immunologicals Limited, the manufacturer of Abhayrab, has strongly refuted the advisory, labeling it as 'over-cautious' and 'misplaced'. The company clarified that the issue was an isolated incident involving a single counterfeit batch (Batch # KA 24014) identified in January 2025 due to a packaging anomaly. Indian Immunologicals Limited proactively notified Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies, and the counterfeit batch is no longer available. The company has requested Australia to review its advisory, emphasizing that its quality systems are robust and that supplies through authorized channels remain safe. The incident highlights concerns about drug supply chain integrity in India, with past cases in India — Uttar Pradesh linking spurious vaccines to multiple deaths.