Philippine regulators warn of deadly fake rabies vaccine

Drug regulatory officials in the Philippines have warned counterfeit rabies vaccines can allow the disease to progress and eventually kill the patient.

The discovery of fake rabies vaccine in Tabuk City is a major concern for health authorities. In most cases the vaccine is administered after a person is infected with rabies, but it must be given almost immediately to take effect.

Failure to deliver a vaccine in time means the person is almost certain to die as rabies kills almost 100 per cent of those it infects, the highest fatality rate of any major infectious disease. If a vaccine is given in time, but it turns out to be a counterfeit, it is unlikely to save the patient.

The concern in the Philippines is that the one, slim chance those infected with rabies have of surviving will be eliminated if counterfeit vaccines become common. Regulators are advising healthcare providers to only buy rabies vaccines from legitimate sources to avoid purchasing counterfeits.