A significant health controversy erupted after the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) issued an urgent warning regarding counterfeit batches of the Indian rabies vaccine, Abhayrab on Saturday, 27 December 2025.
Australian health officials have advised all travellers who received this vaccine in India since 1 November 2023 to consider their shots invalid and seek revaccination with Australian-registered doses like Rabipur or Verorab.
However, the manufacturer, Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), has strongly refuted the advisory, calling the reference to 2023 “over-cautious” and “misplaced.”
IIL clarified that they proactively identified a single counterfeit batch in January 2025 and that this isolated issue has already been addressed with law enforcement, ensuring no such fakes remain in circulation.
Australian Advisory
The alert from ATAGI is specifically designed for travellers and healthcare providers, as Abhayrab is not used within Australia. According to the advisory, counterfeit batches circulating in India differ from the genuine product in formulation, packaging, and manufacturing standards.
This creates a high-risk situation because rabies is nearly 100 per cent fatal once clinical symptoms, such as paralysis and hydrophobia, manifest. ATAGI recommends that anyone who received a rabies vaccine in India after 1 November 2023, where the brand was Abhayrab or was unknown, should get replacement doses.
The guidance emphasizes using Australian-registered vaccines to ensure adequate protection against the virus, which primarily spreads through dog bites and scratches.
Refuting The Charges
Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), which has manufactured Abhayrab since 2000 and holds a 40 per cent market share in India, has challenged the timeline presented by Australian authorities.
IIL stated that they discovered a “packaging anomaly” in January 2025 and immediately alerted Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies. The company stressed that this was an “isolated incident” involving only one specific batch, which is no longer available for sale.
IIL maintains that every vaccine batch in India undergoes rigorous testing by the Central Drugs Laboratory before release. Sunil Tiwari, Vice President of Quality Management at IIL, reassured the public that their pharmacovigilance systems are robust and that products from authorised distributors remain safe.
Severity Of Rabies
Rabies is a zoonotic viral disease that aggressively attacks the central nervous system. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that dogs are responsible for 99 per cent of transmissions to humans, with children between 5 and 14 years old being the most common victims.
While the disease is almost always fatal after symptoms appear, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), consisting of wound washing and a series of vaccine doses, is nearly 100 per cent effective if administered promptly.
The current controversy highlights the critical importance of vaccine integrity, as even a small doubt about a dose’s authenticity can lead to life-threatening uncertainty for those exposed to the virus.
Safety Protocols
For those travelling to rabies-endemic areas like India, experts suggest several proactive steps to ensure safety. Completing a pre-exposure vaccine series is highly recommended, as it simplifies treatment if a bite occurs.
Travellers are advised to avoid contact with stray animals, bats, and wildlife, and to supervise children closely. In the event of a bite or scratch, immediate wound washing with soap and visiting a local clinic for post-exposure prophylaxis is essential.
Furthermore, high-risk travellers, such as veterinarians or lab workers, should plan for periodic boosters and seek medical care immediately upon return if they believe they were exposed to the virus during their journey.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that the circulation of even a single counterfeit vaccine vial is a grave violation of the right to health and safety.
While we understand the manufacturer’s need to protect their reputation, the Australian government’s “over-cautious” approach highlights a painful reality: in the fight against a 100 per cent fatal virus, there is zero room for error.
We urge the Indian regulatory bodies to conduct a transparent, nationwide audit of pharmacy supply chains to root out any counterfeiters who profit from fake medicine. Global harmony in healthcare depends on rigorous accountability and proactive honesty.
