Fake Abhayrab Rabies Vaccine Alert: Batch KE25012 Found Substandard in Delhi Raid

<p>A counterfeit batch of the Abhayrab anti-rabies vaccine has set off a serious public health alert across India, with laboratory tests confirming the seized vials are substandard and misbranded. For a disease that is nearly 100 per cent fatal once symptoms appear, the stakes could not be higher.</p>
<p>The alert centres on batch number KE25012, uncovered during an enforcement raid by the Delhi Police and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) at an unlicensed residential premise in New Delhi. The Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) in Kasauli subsequently declared the seized samples "Not of Standard Quality" (NSQ) and misbranded.</p>
<p>This is the second time in under a year that counterfeit versions of Abhayrab, a vaccine that commands a significant share of India's domestic rabies vaccine market, have surfaced. An earlier fake batch, numbered KA24014, had previously triggered alerts from international bodies including Australia's immunisation advisory group ATAGI, highlighting deep vulnerabilities in drug tracking and supply chain security.</p>
<p>Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), through its Human Biologicals Institute division in Hyderabad, confirmed that testing revealed 17 packaging and labelling discrepancies in the KE25012 vials, establishing them as spurious. Authorities clarified that legitimate stocks released under Certificate CDL/2025/8392 on November 7, 2025, are safe and were distributed through authorised medical channels.</p>
<p>Prominent Hyderabad-based pediatrician and public health commentator Dr Sivaranjani Santosh took to social media to condemn those behind the racket. "People releasing counterfeit versions of anti-rabies vaccines are criminals. Rabies passes away with a near 100 per cent fatality rate," she said, calling for swift action.</p>
<p>A key challenge for patients is that most do not retain vaccine packaging or vial covers after receiving a dose, leaving them with no way to check batch numbers independently. They must rely on healthcare providers and clinic records to verify whether their inoculations were genuine.</p>
<p>While the statistical likelihood of individuals in Hyderabad or elsewhere in Telangana having received a tainted dose remains slim, medical experts are urging a strict precautionary approach. Anyone who received Abhayrab on or after November 7, 2025, is advised to verify their vaccination history with a doctor without delay.</p>
<p>Health authorities have also issued clear guidelines for patients. Scanning the QR code on a vial is one quick check: if product information does not appear instantly, the dose may be counterfeit. Anti-rabies vaccines must never be administered into the buttocks. They must be given strictly intramuscularly or intradermally in the thighs or shoulders. Any dose given in the buttocks is considered invalid and must be repeated.</p>
<p>For those bitten by a cat or dog, if the animal remains alive 10 days after the bite, the animal is considered non-rabid and the remaining booster doses may be skipped. However, this 10-day rule does not apply to bites or saliva exposure from other mammal species.</p>
<p>Given the near-certain fatal outcome of untreated rabies, anyone with any doubt about doses received since November 7, 2025, is strongly advised to consult a doctor immediately and retake the vaccine.</p>