Provided is a dried composition with rehydration and storage stability comprising (1) alphaviruses or alphavirus replicon particles, (2) a salt, (3) a surfactant, and (4) a hydrogen-bonding sugar, sugar alcohol or other polyol, wherein the hydrogen-bonding sugar, sugar alcohol or other polyol is selected from trehalose, sucrose, raffinose, maltodextrin, fructose, glycerol, sorbitol, inositol and mannose, and (5) a plasticizer. The alphavirus can be Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis Virus (VEE).
