prepandemic influenza vaccine (H5N1) (adjuvanted, whole virion, inactivated, prepared in cell culture)

Vepacel is an adjuvanted, whole-virus, inactivated H5N1 influenza vaccine developed by Baxter using its proprietary Vero cell culture technology. The vaccine is derived from the wild-type A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1) strain and is formulated with aluminum hydroxide as an adjuvant to enhance the immune response. Unlike traditional egg-based manufacturing, the Vero cell platform allows for rapid and scalable production, which is critical for pandemic preparedness. The vaccine contains the entire inactivated virus, presenting the hemagglutinin (HA) protein and other viral components to the immune system to induce broad, cross-neutralizing antibodies against multiple H5N1 clades. It was approved in the European Union for prepandemic use to provide protection against avian influenza H5N1 infection.

Brand names

Vepacel

Other names

H5N1 influenza vaccine (Vero cell-derived) + adjuvantVero cell-derived H5N1 whole virus vaccineBaxter H5N1 vaccineprepandemic influenza vaccine (H5N1) (whole virion, inactivated, adjuvanted, prepared in cell culture)