Which of the following vaccines is inactivated?

The Hepatitis B vaccine is classified as an inactivated vaccine because it is produced using a non-infectious portion of the virus—specifically, the surface proteins of the hepatitis B virus. These proteins elicit an immune response without the risk of causing the disease, making it a safe option for immunization against hepatitis B infection. Inactivated vaccines like this one stimulate the body to produce antibodies against the virus without introducing live pathogens.

The varicella vaccine is live-attenuated, which means it uses a weakened form of the varicella-zoster virus to provoke an immune response. Shingrix, which is also a vaccine for shingles, is a recombinant adjuvanted vaccine, not inactivated by the classical definition. The flu vaccine can be both inactivated and live-attenuated, but many of the standard formulations used each year contain inactivated virus. In this context of vaccines labeled specifically as inactivated, the Hepatitis B vaccine stands out as the clear choice.