New Delhi, December 27 (IANS). Hyderabad-based drug manufacturing company Indian Immunologicals Limited has rejected the claim of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (ATAGI) that the Indian company’s anti-rabies vaccine was fake.
This week, ATAGI had issued an advisory claiming that fake batches of anti-rabies vaccine Abhayreb are circulating in India from November 2023.
IIL company is manufacturing Abhayreb in India since 2000. The IIL company that manufactures the vaccine has objected to it.
IIL says that ATAGI’s advisory has indicated that Abhayreb vaccine administered in India after November 1, 2023 should be considered invalid, which is causing confusion among the common people and health workers. According to the company, the advisory may weaken trust in the vaccine.
“IIL aims to reassure stakeholders that the company’s pharmacovigilance and quality systems are robust, and the public can have confidence in the vaccines supplied directly from IIL and its authorized channels,” Sunil Tiwari, vice president and quality management head, IIL, said in a statement on Saturday.
According to the company, since 2000, more than 210 million doses of Abhayreb have been supplied in India and 40 countries. Anti-rabies vaccine has 40 percent market share in India.
Australian health officials said people who have received the fake vaccine may not be completely protected from rabies. Also, people getting vaccinated with Abhayreb from November 1, 2023 have been advised to meet their doctor and find out whether a replacement dose is needed or not.
“In January 2025, IIL identified a packaging defect in a specific batch (batch # KA 24014). The company immediately informed Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies, filed a formal complaint, and worked closely with authorities to ensure prompt action,” IIL said.
Calling it an “isolated incident”, the drugmaker said the “counterfeit batch is no longer available at stores.”
The company also assured healthcare professionals and the general public of a safe vaccine.
“Each batch of vaccine manufactured in India is tested and released by the Central Drugs Laboratory (Government of India) before it is made available for sale or distribution. The supplies made through government entities and authorized distributors are safe and in accordance with established standards,” IIL said.
Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease that affects the central nervous system. In most cases of rabies to humans, infected dogs are responsible for spreading the virus.
This disease is fatal in 100 percent of cases when it infects the central nervous system and clinical symptoms begin to appear.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 18,000-20,000 deaths occur due to rabies every year in India, most of which are caused by dog bites.
–IANS
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