By Shalini Bhardwaj

New Delhi [India], December 27 (ANI): Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), one of India's leading vaccine manufacturers, has issued a clarification regarding recent reports surrounding its human anti-rabies vaccine, Abhayrab.

The company strongly refuted the over-cautious and misplaced reference to 2023 made in a recent Australian health advisory, stressing that the advisory does not reflect the current situation. Abhayrab has been manufactured by IIL since 2000, with more than 210 million doses supplied across India and 40 countries, and continues to hold a 40% market share in India.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has stated that counterfeit (fake) batches of the rabies vaccine Abhayrab have been circulating in India since 2023.

'The fake vaccine differs from the registered vaccine in formulation, packaging, labelling, and manufacturing. People who received the fake vaccine may not be fully protected against rabies and are advised to get replacement doses to ensure they are adequately protected,' said the statement.

Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has urged travellers to re-vaccination 'Travellers to India may be affected if they have received rabies vaccine in India from 1 November 2023 onwards, and were administered one or more doses of Abhayrab, or the vaccine brand administered is unknown.'

In January 2025, IIL proactively identified a packaging anomaly in one specific batch (Batch # KA 24014). The company immediately notified Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies, lodged a formal complaint, and worked closely with authorities to ensure swift action. Importantly, this was an isolated incident, and the counterfeit batch is no longer available for sale.

Reassuring healthcare professionals and the public, IIL emphasised that every batch of vaccine manufactured in India is tested and released by the Central Drugs Laboratory (Government of India) before being made available for sale or administration. Supplies made through government institutions and authorised distributors remain safe and of standard quality.

Sunil Tiwari, Vice President & Head of Quality Management at IIL, stated that IIL aims to reassure stakeholders that the company's pharmacovigilance and quality systems are robust, and that the public can continue to place confidence in vaccines supplied directly by IIL and its authorised channels. (ANI)