Concerns over fake rabies vaccine won’t affect govt hospitals: Officials

Health officials say counterfeit rabies vaccine concerns do not affect government hospitals in Telangana, as supplies come directly from manufacturers. However, the State faces rising dog bite cases and a serious shortage of Rabies Immunoglobulin injections needed for severe bites.

Hyderabad: In the midst of concerns raised by several countries over fake Abhaypur rabies vaccine, senior health public health officials from Hyderabad on Friday said that such concerns should not affect State government hospitals in Telangana.

The counterfeit risk is linked to unauthorised private sellers and specific batches in other Indian states. All the stocks of anti-rabies vaccines to government hospitals are supplied directly from the manufacturer.

In a very recent update on the issue, the IIL had issued specific assurance maintaining that all supplies are made directly to government institutions and through their authorised distributors, which is safe and of standard quality.

The counterfeit vaccines were found primarily in the retail markets through unauthorised wholesalers in Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, a senior health official said, adding that almost all the batches of vaccines manufactured by IIL at Karkapatla, Siddipet are first tested and released by the Central Drugs Laboratory.

While there are no questions over the quality of anti-rabies vaccines, people in Hyderabad and the rest of Telangana continue to struggle with an unrelenting cycle of dog bites and the desperate search for a health care facility that is adequately stocked with anti-rabies vaccines.

While the anti-rabies vaccine is accessible, recent studies Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and The Lancet (2025) have highlighted a severe shortage of Rabies Immunoglobulin (RIG), the specialised injection required for ‘Category-III’ bites for severe, deep-tissue bites, in primary and secondary health care facilities.