Stabilized live vaccine

A method for stabilizing a live vaccine, which comprises adding a stabilizer to a live vaccine comprising a virus component wherein said virus component comprises at least one varicella virus selected from the group consisting of an attenuated live varicella virus and an attenuated recombinant varicella virus, wherein said stabilizer comprises

• (a) from 0.5 to 10% (w/v) of sucrose or a mixture of from 0.5 to 10% (w/v) of lactose, from 0.2 to 6.0% (w/v) of sorbitol and from 0.02 to 1.0% (w/v) of cysteine;
• (b) from 0.01 to 5.0% (w/v) of sodium glutamate;
• (c) from 0.02 to 1.0% (w/v) of gelatin;
• and
• (d) from 0.5 to 10% (w/v) of hydrolyzed gelatin,
• wherein percentage is determined in terms of the concentration in the resultant mixture of said live vaccine and said stabilizer, said gelatin and said hydrolyzed gelatin being free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions to the extent that Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions are not detected by the calorimetric titration method using a chelating reagent,
• wherein said gelatin and said hydrolyzed gelatin, each being free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions, are respectively obtained by subjecting gelatin and a hydrolyzed gelatin, each containing at least one of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions, to at least one treatment selected from the group consisting of dialysis treatment, gel filtration treatment, cation exchange resin treatment, chelating resin treatment, and a masking treatment with a chelating reagent, to thereby remove said at least one of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions.

A stabilized live vaccine comprising a virus component comprised of at least one varicella virus selected from the group consisting of an attenuated live varicella virus and an attenuated live recombinant varicella virus, and a stabilizer comprising:

• (a) from 0.5 to 10% (w/v) of sucrose or a mixture of from 0.5 to 10% (w/v) of lactose, from 0.2 to 6.0% (w/v) of sorbitol, from 0.02 to 1.0% (w/v) of cysteine;
• (b) from 0.01 to 5.0% (w/v) of sodium glutamate;
• (c) from 0.02 to 1.0% (w/v) of gelatin;
• and (d) from 0.5 to 10% (w/v) of hydrolyzed gelatin, in terms of the concentration in the stabilized live vaccine,
• said gelatin and said hydrolyzed gelatin being free of Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions to the extent that Ca.sup.2+ ions and Mg.sup.2+ ions are not detected by a calorimetric titration method using a chelating reagent.