Counterfeit Rabies vaccine (ABHAYRAB®) reported in India

Key points:
1.       Counterfeit (fake) batches of the rabies vaccine Abhayrab® have been reported circulating in India since late 2023.

2.      People who received rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in India on or after 1 November 2023 may not be fully protected. This includes returned travellers currently residing in Queensland.

3.      The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) released a statement on 19 December 2025 and recommends that any Abhayrab® dose, or any rabies vaccine dose of unknown brand administered in India on or after 1 November 2023, should be considered invalid and replacement dose(s) should be given using an Australian‑registered rabies vaccine (Rabipur® or Verorab®).​

4.      Any replacement doses required will be funded by Queensland Health.

5.      People who have completed their full rabies vaccine course in a country other than India, including Australia are not affected by this alert

There are at least 40 individuals in Queensland who are known to have received a partial or a full course of rabies vaccine in India for Post Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) between 1 November 2023 and 9 December 2025. These people may be inadequately protected and at risk.

There may also be other people unknown to public health who received a rabies vaccine in India during this period.

Queensland Health will contact all known affected individuals and recommend re-vaccination and referral to an immunisation provider, as indicated.

Members of the community not known to public health may seek advice from healthcare providers about rabies vaccines received in India. Where possible, providers should review any available documentation (including brand and dates of administration) and refer to the ATAGI statement for guidance on assessing rabies vaccine adequacy.  

If healthcare providers determine replacement dose(s) of rabies vaccine are required, they should contact their local public health unit.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook table of rabies vaccines available globally and compatibility with vaccines registered in Australia was updated on 19 December 2025 to exclude Abhayrab® administered in India as a valid dose.

The Queensland Health Immunisation Program coordinates supply of rabies vaccine and human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) for PEP to immunisation providers and emergency departments. To access funded vaccine or HRIG, healthcare providers should contact their local public health unit.

There is no current shortage of human rabies immunoglobulin or rabies vaccine in Queensland, with current supply meeting demand.

While potential rabies exposures in India are common, rabies disease is very rare. The incubation period for rabies is typically two to three months but can range from a few days to several years. Follow‑up of known exposures is essential, as rabies may present after a very prolonged incubation period and once clinical disease develops in humans, it is universally fatal.

 
Dr Heidi Carroll
Executive Director, Communicable Diseases Branch, Queensland Health
19 December 2025