New Delhi: Health authorities in Australia, the UK, and the US have warned travellers who received the Abhayrab rabies vaccine in India from 2023 to get replacement doses, amid fears of counterfeit batches circulating in major cities.
The Abhayrab, one of India’s most widely used human anti-rabies vaccines, is produced by Indian Immunological Limited (IIL), a government-backed company that supplies roughly 40 per cent of the country’s rabies vaccines. The concern was not about rabies itself–but about whether some people had unknowingly received counterfeit doses.
IIL maintains that the vaccine itself was genuine and the issue is now closed, but the incident has highlighted gaps in vaccine supply chains and renewed fears about rabies prevention in India, which bears 36 per cent of the world’s rabies deaths.
What is the Abhayrab controversy?
The alarm was first raised when Abhayrab rabies vaccine vials bearing batch number KA24014 began appearing in pharmacies across cities. The vials looked authentic but were wrapped in altered packaging – part of an alleged scheme to divert government-supplied vaccines into private markets.
IIL detected the irregularity in January 2025 and alerted drug regulators. Tests conducted at the government’s Central Drugs Laboratory in Kasauli confirmed that the vaccine inside the seized vials was genuine. Even so, experts warned that the repackaging may have broken the strict cold chain required for rabies vaccines, which must be stored between 2°C and 8°C to remain effective.
While enforcement agencies conducted raids and removed the suspect batch from circulation, concerns spread. Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) declared that all Abhayrab or unknown-brand rabies vaccines administered in India since November 2023 should be considered “invalid”. The UK launched a review of travellers vaccinated from late October, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention linked the issue to a rabies death in returning travellers.
IIL pushed back, calling the foreign response “over-cautious.” The company stressed that it was an “isolated incident”, and all authorised supplies are rigorously tested before release, and the suspect batch had been fully withdrawn.
Also Read: High number of dog bites & poor post-exposure vaccination coverage drive India’s rabies crisis
Rabies in India
The World Health Organisation estimates 100,000+ deaths annually in low and middle-income countries from counterfeit medicines—fuelled by weak enforcement, porous borders, and the lucrative diversion of subsidised government supplies into private markets.
India’s response has been two-pronged. Enforcement first — drug controllers raided multiple cities; the CDSCO (Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation) flagged cold-chain violations and formulation mismatches in seized vials. Then reform: the 2030 rabies elimination goal, built on a One Health approach linking animal and human health—vaccinating 70 per cent of stray dogs, closing gaps in rabies immunoglobulin (still scarce for severe Category III bites), and training providers to recognise nerve-rich wounds where the virus can outrun delayed care.
Despite government authorities’ warnings, public health experts urged calm. Doctor MK Sudarshan of the Association for Prevention and Control of Rabies in India (APCRI) noted that India’s rabies protocol includes a five-dose post-bite regimen (or WHO’s minimum intramuscular/intradermal schedule plus immunoglobulin on day zero). Even if one dose fails, protection usually holds — if wounds are washed immediately and immunoglobulin is given when required.
A 2022 spike in rabies deaths in Kerala, despite vaccination, was later blamed on poor wound care and missing immunoglobulin in Category III bites–deep or multiple wounds, or scratches licked by animals.
Rabies remains ruthless. Spread through infected saliva – 97-98 per cent from dogs in India–it moves from fever to hydrophobia, paralysis, and death once symptoms begin. Post-exposure treatment can save lives, but only if done quickly and correctly.
India’s burden is far heavier than the reported numbers. According to the WHO, 18,000-20,000 rabies-related deaths occur annually, comprising 36 per cent of the global toll, with children under 15 accounting for up to 60 per cent. ThePrint reported in August that Delhi alone logged 3,196 dog-bite cases in January 2025.
While several cases are overlooked, progress has taken place. By mid-2025, deaths had dropped 75 per cent, driven by mass dog vaccination, universal vaccine access, and newer monoclonal antibodies – bringing the country closer to its zero-rabies-by-2030 goal, even as 9 million bites occur each year.
(Edited by Insha Jalil Waziri)