As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 27, 2023

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

2020 Employee Stock Purchase 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:

Charles S. Kim

Mark Weeks

John T. McKenna

Cooley LLP

101 California Street, 5th Floor

San Francisco, California 94111

(415) 693-2000

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 (a) 3,973,533 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) and February  28, 2022 (File No. 333-263093) (together, the “Prior Registration Statements”), and (b) 794,706 shares of its Common Stock issuable under the Registrant’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan, which Common Stock is in addition to the shares of Common Stock registered on 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”):

(a) the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on February 27, 2023; and

(b) The description of the Common Stock contained in the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 001-39323) filed with the SEC on June  9, 2020, as updated by Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and any amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

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 27, 2023.

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

Mark B. Weeks

T: +1 650 843 5011

[email protected]

February 27, 2023

Vaxcyte, Inc.

825 Industrial Road, Suite 300

San Carlos, California 94070

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We have acted as counsel to Vaxcyte, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) covering the offering of up to 4,768,239 shares (the “Shares”) of the Company’s Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Common Stock”), consisting of (a) 3,973,533 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2020 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2020 EIP”) and (b) 794,706 shares of Common Stock issuable pursuant to the Company’s 2020 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (together with the 2020 EIP, the “Plans”).

In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon (a) the Registration Statement and related prospectus, (b) the Plans, (c) the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, each as currently in effect, and (d) originals or copies certified to our satisfaction of such other records, documents, certificates, memoranda and other instruments as in our judgment are necessary or appropriate to enable us to render the opinion expressed below. We have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to originals of all documents submitted to us as copies, the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of certificates of public officials and the due authorization, execution and delivery of all documents by all persons other than the Company where authorization, execution and delivery are prerequisites to the effectiveness thereof. As to certain factual matters, we have relied upon a certificate of an officer of the Company and have not independently verified such matters.

Our opinion is expressed only with respect to the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware. We express no opinion to the extent that any other laws are applicable to the subject matter hereof and express no opinion and provide no assurance as to compliance with any federal or state securities law, rule or regulation.

On the basis of the foregoing, and in reliance thereon, we are of the opinion that the Shares, when sold and issued in accordance with the Plans, the Registration Statement and related prospectus, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable (except as to shares issued pursuant to certain deferred payment arrangements, which will be fully paid and nonassessable when such deferred payments are made in full).

We consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. In giving such consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

Cooley LLP     3175 Hanover Street     Palo Alto, CA     94304-1130

t: +1 650 843 5000     f: +1 650 849 7400     cooley.com

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated February 27, 2023, relating to the financial statements of Vaxcyte, Inc. and the effectiveness of Vaxcyte, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Vaxcyte, Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2022.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche

San Francisco, California

February 27, 2023

Exhibit 107

CALCULATION OF FILING FEE TABLES

Form S-8

Vaxcyte, Inc.

Table 1: Newly Registered Securities