Significant questions have been raised regarding the delay by India's drug regulators in issuing a public alert about counterfeit batches of the Abhayrab anti-rabies vaccine circulating in the country. The controversy intensified after international health authorities in Australia, the UK, and the US issued advisories warning travelers who received rabies vaccinations in India since November 2023 to seek re-evaluation and potential replacement doses. Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), the Hyderabad-based manufacturer of Abhayrab, proactively identified a specific counterfeit batch (KA24014) with tampered packaging in January 2025. The company claims it immediately notified Indian regulators and law enforcement agencies. However, instead of a public advisory, Indian authorities reportedly opted for a 'quiet investigation'. This decision has led to widespread public outrage and ethical concerns, as clarity on the issue for the Indian populace emerged primarily through foreign health alerts. While some reports suggest that tests on seized counterfeit products found the vaccine contents to be genuine despite packaging anomalies, foreign advisories caution that recipients of such vaccines may not be fully protected against rabies, a nearly 100% fatal disease once symptoms appear. This incident has spotlighted serious gaps in India's drug safety protocols and public alert systems, reviving calls for legally enforceable drug recall mechanisms. Telangana health officials have clarified that government hospital supplies are directly from manufacturers and are unaffected, but the risk remains for those who procured vaccines from unauthorized private sellers.