Ireland 
All travellers should be aware of the risks of falsified medical products abroad.
The World Health Organization has reported At least 1 in 10 medicines in low- and middle-income countries are substandard or falsified. These medicines including vaccinations are made by unauthorised manufacturers and look like the real licenced product however, they do not work and may contain ingredients that are toxic and cause serious harm.
An alert has recently been posted on the UK health security agency (UKHSA) regarding the identification of falsified rabies vaccine in circulation in India in early 2025.
The falsified vaccine is labelled as ‘Abhayrab batch no KA24014’ but there are reported to be several discrepancies in the formulation, packaging, labelling, and manufacturing to the legitimate Abhayrab vaccine by Indian Immunologicals Limited.
Some travellers may have completed post exposure rabies course in India and not discussed it on return to the UK. For those who have received rabies vaccinations in India it is recommended that vaccination records are checked to eliminate the identified falsified rabies vaccination. It is important to contact your GP with any concerns. They will discuss the case with UKHSA Rabies and immunoglobulin service on your behalf.
Falsified vaccinations abroad are not uncommon. Over the years, counterfeit Yellow fever, Hepatitis B, Rabies and Covid 19 vaccines have all been identified across countries in Africa, Indonesia, Asia and some parts of Europe.
It is really important to allow plenty of time to complete vaccinations prior to travel as some such vaccines like Rabies and Hepatitis B require three doses to be protected against the disease. If you are completing vaccination courses abroad is important to be mindful of the risks and to have a clear plan of when and where you are going to receive these. The ISTM Travel clinic directory provides a useful list of reputable English speaking travel clinics in some countries abroad.
Medications such as painkillers (paracetamol), antibiotics and antimalarials are the most common drugs to be falsified abroad and often contain either too much or too little of the drug. These can cause serious harm and provide no protection or treatment.
Antimalarials should always be purchased through a reputable travel health clinic or pharmacy like Masta prior to travel. At Masta, you will receive comprehensive advice on your malaria risk and prevention. We will also issue the most suitable antimalarial for you and your itinerary.
If you do have to purchase medications abroad, ensure that you purchase these from reputable looking pharmacies. Often counterfeit medications look like the real thing and it can be difficult to tell if they are real but always have a look out for discolouration, splits and spots on the pills as well as the packaging. Poor quality printing and misspelled words are also a sign that the medications are not the licenced product.
Always travel with your own medicines. Medical kits containing antibiotics and other medicines specifically for travel can be purchased from our Masta clinics so there is no need to be searching for a reputable and safe pharmacy abroad to purchase these.
To reduce the risk of being caught out and receiving counterfeit vaccinations or medicines abroad, allow time to complete vaccination courses and purchase antimalarials prior to travel. Take all your own medicines with you so you can avoid purchasing them in country.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/substandard-and-falsified-medical-products
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/news/867/falsified-rabies-vaccine-india
