Falsified Rabies Vaccine in the Philippines (Update One)

The Philippines Department of Health Food and Drug Administration has issued a public health advisory about falsified rabies vaccine being used in the Philippines.

The falsified rabies vaccine is labelled as Rabipur, however, GlaxoSmithKline the producer of Rabipur has confirmed these particular products are counterfeit. Investigations are currently ongoing into other potentially falsified rabies vaccine or immunoglobulin products that may be in circulation in the Philippines, and it is likely the World Health Organisation (WHO) will issue a Medical Product Alert soon. There is currently no evidence that the falsified products have been distributed outside of the Philippines.

The extent of potential distribution of falsified vaccines across the Philippines is not yet clear and most patients may have received genuine rabies vaccine, however, as a precaution patients who may have initiated rabies post-exposure treatment with rabies vaccine in the Philippines should have their treatment reviewed. This precautionary approach should be applied for patients who have received any type of rabies vaccine in the Philippines, not just Rabipur or Verorab.

Public Health England has produced the following guide for management of these patients:

Note: Anyone assessing for post-exposure treatment should consult with an infectious disease consultant in Scotland and the RIgS team in England.

The Philippines are classified as a high risk country for rabies. Travel health professionals are reminded of the importance of discussing the risk of rabies with travellers and the benefits of receiving pre exposure vaccination prior to travelling overseas. This is particularly important given this recent report; and the potential for vaccine failure resulting in death, following exposure to the rabies virus.

Further information can be found on the following pages:

• Rabies
• Post exposure rabies guidance
• Animal bites
• Philippines