Patent ID: 8551527

Claim:
A process for producing a stabilized influenza vaccine composition comprising: a) diluting a liquid bulk antigen composition comprising an influenza antigen or an antigenic preparation from a seasonal, pre-pandemic or pandemic influenza virus strain with an aqueous solution comprising a carbohydrate, a sugar alcohol, or a mixture thereof in order to obtain a diluted vaccine composition solution wherein the concentration of the carbohydrate, sugar alcohol, or mixture thereof is from 2% (w/v) to the limit of solubility, b) prilling the diluted vaccine composition solution to form regular droplets of the vaccine having a diameter of approximately from about 200 μm to about 1500 μm, c) subjecting the regular droplets of the vaccine to freezing to form frozen regular spherical micropellets or particles of the vaccine, and d) drying the frozen regular spherical micropellets or particles of the vaccine to form dry regular spherical micropellets or particles of the vaccine having a diameter from about 200 μm to about 1500 μm.