PCVX Vaxcyte Inc

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 25, 2025

Registration No. 333-   

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

VAXCYTE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

825 Industrial Road, Suite 300

San Carlos, California 94070

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

2020 Equity Incentive Plan

(Full titles of the plans)

Grant E. Pickering

Chief Executive Officer

Vaxcyte, Inc.

825 Industrial Road, Suite 300

San Carlos, California 94070

(650) 837-0111

(Name and address of agent for service) (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

Copies to:

Michael J. Hong

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

One Manhattan West

New York, New York 10001

Telephone: (212) 735-3000

Facsimile: (212) 735-2000

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ☐

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Vaxcyte, Inc. (the “Registrant”) is filing this Registration Statement on Form S-8 for the purpose of registering 6,244,651 shares of its Common Stock issuable to eligible persons under the Registrant’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan, which Common Stock is in addition to the shares of Common Stock registered on the Registrant’s Registration Statements on Form S-8 filed on June  12, 2020 (File No. 333-239135), March  29, 2021 (File No. 333-254824), February  28, 2022 (File No. 333-263093), February  27, 2023 (File No. 333-270064) and February  27, 2024 (File No. 333-277413) (together, the “Prior Registration Statements”).

PART II

Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the contents of the Prior Registration Statements are incorporated by reference herein. The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents filed by it with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”):

All other reports and documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (other than Current Reports furnished under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K and exhibits furnished on such form that relate to such items) on or after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference herein and to be a part of this Registration Statement from the date of the filing of such reports and documents. Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed document that also is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Carlos, State of California, on February 25, 2025.

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Grant E. Pickering and Andrew Guggenhime, and each of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, each with the full power of substitution, for him or her and in their name, place or stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments to this Registration Statement (including post-effective amendments), and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his, her or their substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement on Form S-8 has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Exhibit 5.1

Vaxcyte, Inc.

825 Industrial Road, Suite 300

San Carlos, California 94070

Registration Statement on Form S-8

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as special United States counsel to Vaxcyte, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed on the date hereof by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”). The Registration Statement relates to the registration of 6,244,651 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.001 per share (the “Common Stock”), available for future issuance pursuant to the Vaxcyte, Inc. 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”).

This opinion letter is being furnished in accordance with the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act.

In rendering the opinion stated herein, we have examined and relied upon the following:

Vaxcyte, Inc.

February 25, 2025

Page 2

We have also examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of such records of the Company and such agreements, certificates and receipts of public officials, certificates of officers or other representatives of the Company and others, and such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate as a basis for the opinion stated below.

In our examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, including electronic signatures, the legal capacity and competency of all natural persons, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to original documents of all documents submitted to us as facsimile, electronic, certified or photocopied copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies. In making our examination of executed documents, we have assumed that the parties thereto, other than the Company, had the power, corporate or other, to enter into and perform all obligations thereunder and have also assumed the due authorization by all requisite action, corporate or other, and the execution and delivery by such parties of such documents and the validity and binding effect thereof on such parties. As to any facts relevant to the opinion stated herein that we did not independently establish or verify, we have relied upon statements and representations of officers and other representatives of the Company and others and of public officials, including the facts and conclusions set forth in the Secretary’s Certificate and the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation.

Vaxcyte, Inc.

February 25, 2025

Page 3

We do not express any opinion with respect to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”).

Based upon the foregoing and subject to the qualifications and assumptions stated herein, we are of the opinion that the Shares have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate action on the part of the Company under the DGCL and, when awarded by the Board of Directors of the Company or a duly authorized committee thereof and issued and paid for in accordance with the terms of the Plan and the award agreements under the Plan, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

In rendering the opinion stated herein, we have assumed that (i) an appropriate account statement evidencing the Shares credited to a recipient’s account maintained with the Company’s transfer agent has been or will be issued by the Company’s transfer agent; (ii) the issuance of the Shares will be properly recorded in the books and records of the Company; (iii) each award agreement pursuant to which rights to acquire Shares or other awards are granted pursuant to the Plan will be consistent with the Plan and will be duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto; (iv) the consideration received by the Company for each of the Shares delivered pursuant to the Plan shall not be less than the $0.001 per share; (v) the Company will continue to have sufficient authorized shares of Common Stock; and (vi) the issuance of the Shares does not and will not (a) except to the extent expressly stated in the opinion contained herein, violate any statute to which the Company or such issuance is subject, or (b) constitute a violation of, or a breach under, or require the consent or approval of any other person under any agreement or instrument binding on the Company (except that we do not and will not make this assumption with respect to the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation and the Amended and Restated Bylaws, although we have assumed compliance with any covenant, restriction or provision with respect to financial ratios or tests or any aspect of the financial condition or results of operations of the Company contained in such instruments).

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder. This opinion is expressed as of the date hereof unless otherwise expressly stated, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you of any subsequent changes in the facts stated or assumed herein or of any subsequent changes in applicable laws.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

MJH

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement Nos. 333-268954 and 333-279735 on Form S-3ASR and Nos. 333-239135, 333-254824, 333-263093, 333-270064 and 333-277413 on Form S-8 of our reports dated February 25, 2025, relating to the financial statements of Vaxcyte, Inc. and the effectiveness of Vaxcyte, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024.