If you administer vaccinations, you may have started hearing more about Vaccine Group Directions (VGDs). But what exactly are they, how are they different from the legal mechanisms we already use, and what do they mean for us in practice?
VGDs came into force on 1st April 2026 and provide another way of supporting the delivery of nationally commissioned vaccination programmes. One of the important differences is that they allow certain parts of the vaccination process to be delegated to a wider healthcare workforce.
While the VGD legislation applies across the UK, some of the operational examples in this article relate specifically to England. Vaccinators should always follow the arrangements and guidance applicable in their nation and local service.
So, let’s take a closer look at what VGDs are and what we need to know when working with them.
A Vaccine Group Direction (VGD) is a legal mechanism that supports the administration of UK-licensed vaccines as part of nationally commissioned vaccination programmes.
If you are an eligible registered healthcare practitioner working under a VGD, you can clinically assess an individual and administer a vaccine without the need for an individual prescription.
However, depending on what the individual VGD allows, certain parts of the vaccination process can be delegated to appropriately trained and competent registered or non-registered healthcare practitioners. For example, this may include:
However, there are clear boundaries to delegation under a VGD. Clinical assessment and obtaining informed consent cannot be delegated. These must be undertaken by an eligible registered healthcare practitioner specified within the legislation.
This is why it is important that we always read the individual VGD rather than assuming the same rules apply to every vaccination programme.
Although VGDs are new, the idea of using a wider vaccination workforce is not.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, National Protocols helped expand the vaccination workforce by allowing different stages of the vaccination process to be carried out by appropriately trained staff.
The government subsequently consulted on introducing a more permanent legal mechanism to support vaccination programmes.
VGDs came into force on 1st April 2026 through amendments to the Human Medicines Regulations 2012. Around the same time, the legislation supporting National Protocols expired.
VGDs now provide a mechanism that is not limited to COVID-19 and influenza vaccines. They can support eligible vaccines used within nationally commissioned programmes where the vaccine protects against an infectious disease caused by a virus or bacterium.
If we already have Patient Group Directions (PGDs) and Patient Specific Directions (PSDs), you might wonder why we need another mechanism.
One of the key reasons is workforce flexibility.
Under a PGD, the healthcare professional working under it must personally undertake the episode of care. We cannot delegate the administration of a vaccine to another member of the team under a PGD.
VGDs work differently as they can allow certain tasks to be delegated to appropriately trained and competent registered or non-registered healthcare practitioners. This can help vaccination services:
This flexibility may be particularly relevant in settings such as community pharmacy, where vaccination services continue to expand and different members of the pharmacy team may contribute to vaccine delivery.
However, the roles that each member of the team can undertake will depend on the individual VGD, the service specification and local arrangements.
But delegation does not mean simply handing a task over and walking away.
The registered healthcare practitioner who delegates a task must provide appropriate supervision, remain within the same premises or clinical area and be available to intervene when required.
So, while VGDs give us greater flexibility, they also come with clear professional responsibilities.
Can we simply choose to use a VGD instead of a PGD? Not quite.
VGDs are used to support nationally commissioned vaccination programmes and can only be developed by a national health protection agency. In England, this is the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The VGD needs to be authorised by the appropriate commissioner. In England, this may include an NHS England regional team or a local authority.
A local organisation cannot simply create its own VGD or make changes to a nationally developed one.
For example, in England, UKHSA has published VGD templates for influenza, RSV and COVID-19 vaccination. The RSV VGD supports delivery of the national RSV vaccination programme for eligible groups, including pregnant women and older adults. As with any VGD template, it must be appropriately authorised before practitioners can work under it.
As vaccinators, the important message is to make sure we know which legal mechanism we are working under. Depending on the vaccination programme and setting, this might include:
The correct mechanism depends on the programme, setting, workforce and individual circumstances.
The clinical assessment and obtaining informed consent must be carried out by an eligible registered healthcare practitioner specified within the legislation.
Examples of eligible registered healthcare professionals include:
This is not an exhaustive list, so we should always check the current legislation and individual VGD rather than relying on job title alone.
Nursing Associates are registered healthcare professionals, but they are not eligible to undertake the clinical assessment or obtain informed consent under a VGD. However, where permitted by the individual VGD, appropriately trained and competent Nursing Associates may undertake delegated tasks such as vaccine preparation and administration and record keeping, under the required supervision.
Nursing Associates cannot work under a Patient Group Direction (PGD), so it is particularly important that they understand which legal mechanism is being used and which tasks they are authorised to undertake.
A VGD may also allow certain tasks to be delegated to other registered or non-registered healthcare practitioners, provided the individual VGD permits this.
However, being part of an eligible professional group does not automatically mean that we can start working under a VGD.
Anyone working under a VGD, whether registered or non-registered, must be appropriately trained and competent and must be individually named and authorised by their employer to undertake their role under the VGD.
The individual VGD also tells us who can carry out each task and what level of supervision is required.
VGDs give vaccination teams greater flexibility, but safe practice and good clinical governance remain at the centre of everything we do.
Before working under a VGD, you should ask yourself:
Remember: Always read the individual VGD. Just because a particular task can be delegated under one VGD does not mean it can automatically be delegated under another.
For community pharmacy teams in England, VGDs are not the only change affecting vaccination services in 2026. From 1st September 2026, community pharmacies must also use the NHS Record a Vaccination Service (RAVS) to record all NHS vaccinations, including flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
RAVS is an NHS-owned service that allows vaccination details to be recorded and transferred to the patient’s GP record, while also supporting NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) payment processes.
If your pharmacy is not already using RAVS, you can find information about signing up, recording vaccinations and accessing training through the NHS Record a Vaccination service and user guide.
VGDs are an important development for vaccination services. They give us another way to use the skills of the wider healthcare workforce while keeping clinical assessment, consent, competency and supervision clearly defined.
For those of us involved in vaccination, understanding VGDs is therefore not just about learning another abbreviation. It is about understanding our role, our responsibilities and the legal mechanism we are working under.
As VGDs become established within vaccination programmes, making sure we understand how they differ from PGDs, PSDs and other legal mechanisms helps us deliver vaccination safely, confidently and effectively.
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