Fake Abhayrab rabies vaccine flagged; QR code checks advised for post‑Nov 2025 doses

Public health experts have sounded an alarm over counterfeit Abhayrab rabies vaccines linked to batch KE25012, urging patients vaccinated on or after November 7, 2025, to verify authenticity with healthcare providers. The CDSCO seized spurious vials from an unlicensed premises in Delhi, with Indian Immunologicals confirming multiple packaging discrepancies.

Hyderabad: Public health specialists have issued an urgent warning to patients who received the Abhayrab rabies vaccine on or after November 7, 2025, urging them to contact a healthcare provider immediately following the discovery of counterfeit doses tied to batch number KE25012. If there is any doubt over the authenticity of the vaccine, individuals must repeat it, doctors said.

A few days ago, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) recovered vaccine samples from an unlicensed residential premises in New Delhi. The analysis of the seized samples indicated the samples were “Not of Standard Quality” (NSQ) and misbranded.

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Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) confirmed that laboratory testing revealed 17 distinct packaging and labelling differences between the seized vials and genuine retention samples, proving they were spurious and not manufactured by the Human Biologicals Institute, a division of IIL.

The authentic batch KE25012 comprised 83,370 legally tested vials released on November 7, 2025, and distributed exclusively through authorized channels. Authorities clarified that no part of the counterfeit batch entered authorized medical supply chains, and vaccines administered at licensed hospitals, clinics, or government facilities remain safe.

While the chances of individuals receiving a vaccine from the illicit batch in Telangana are quite slim, senior doctors have urged people, just in case, to check their vaccination details.

Individuals who received the Abhayrab vaccine on or after November 7, 2025, can scan the vial’s QR code, which will immediately display product details; if no information appears, it is a counterfeit.