Pharmacy Vaccination Training: Who Can Vaccinate and What Training You Need

Who can give NHS flu and COVID-19 vaccines in community pharmacy in England in 2026/27, how PGDs and VGDs work, and what training each person in your team needs before they vaccinate.

By Umar Majid · 9 Nov 2026

To vaccinate in an NHS flu or COVID-19 service in a community pharmacy in England, you need training that meets the UKHSA national minimum standards, face-to-face training in injection technique and basic life support (including adrenaline for anaphylaxis), annual update training and documented competence. Pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians can vaccinate under a patient group direction (PGD). Dispensers, counter staff and foundation trainees aren't registered, so they can only prepare, administer and record vaccines under a vaccine group direction (VGD), with a registered professional assessing the patient and supervising on site.

The rest of this article sets out who can do what, how the two legal routes work and the training everyone needs for the 2026/27 season.

Which services run in 2026/27?

Service	Dates	Notes
Seasonal Vaccination Services (COVID-19 and adult flu)	1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027	One advanced service replacing the previous COVID-19 enhanced service and flu advanced service
Adult flu	Pregnant women from 1 September 2026, other adult cohorts from 1 October 2026	NHS England asks pharmacies to maximise uptake by 30 November 2026
Childhood flu	1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027	Mainly nasal LAIV for eligible children from age 2

The final deadline to register on the NHSBSA Manage Your Service (MYS) portal for COVID-19 and adult flu is 11:59pm on 30 November 2026. Vaccines given before you register aren't paid.

What happened to national protocols?

National protocols for flu and COVID-19 were created during the pandemic. They let a team split vaccination between registered and unregistered staff. The Human Medicines (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/381) removed them and created the vaccine group direction, and the national protocol legislation lapsed on 31 March 2026.

A VGD is produced by the UKHSA and authorised by NHS England for community pharmacy services. It can't be written or changed locally.

PGD or VGD?

The pharmacy owner decides which route the team uses.

	PGD	VGD	Former national protocol
Status in 2026/27	In use	In use	Ended 31 March 2026
Who assesses and consents	The registered professional using the PGD	A registered professional listed in the regulations	A registered professional
Can unregistered staff vaccinate?	No	Yes, delegated steps under supervision	Yes
Can preparation be split from administration?	The PGD user usually does every step	No, the person who prepares must administer	Yes

Who can vaccinate?

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians

Registered pharmacy technicians have been able to supply and administer medicines under PGDs since 26 June 2024. For the 2026/27 services, pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can:

vaccinate under a PGD, carrying out every step from assessment to recording, where they're listed in it
act as the Step 1 clinician under a VGD, doing the clinical assessment and consent
act as the on-site supervisor for unregistered staff under a VGD

Dispensers, counter assistants and foundation trainees

Unregistered staff can't use PGDs, and clinical assessment and consent are outside their scope. Under a VGD, they can do the delegated steps:

VGD step	Who can do it
Step 1: assess eligibility and obtain consent	Registered professionals only, such as a pharmacist or pharmacy technician
Steps 2 and 3: prepare and administer	The Step 1 professional, or a trained and competent delegate
Step 4: record the vaccination	The Step 1 professional, or a trained and competent delegate

Foundation trainee pharmacists aren't registered yet, so they fall into the delegated group.

How does supervision work under a VGD?

The Step 1 professional supervises the delegated steps and has to be at the same location. Under the flu VGD, on-site supervision is mandatory throughout every vaccination session.

The same person must prepare and administer. Since 1 April 2026, only the person giving a vaccine may reconstitute or dilute it. Staff must be authorised in writing, with the supervisor and everyone involved recorded for each session. The flu VGD also doesn't support delegated administration to children under 2.

If the registered professional doesn't feel able to supervise safely, they can do every step themselves.

What training does a new vaccinator need?

The UKHSA's National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Immunisation Training (updated June 2025) covers registered professionals and support workers. For someone new to vaccinating, it expects:

foundation training, face to face or blended, because e-learning alone isn't enough
at least two days of theory for a range of vaccines, although staff giving only flu and COVID-19 may need shorter, tailored training
face-to-face practical training and assessment, which it describes as essential
supervised practice with an experienced registered professional
a recorded competency assessment before vaccinating

Community Pharmacy England (CPE) also says vaccinators must complete the COVID-19 and influenza modules on e-Learning for Healthcare. Support workers who vaccinate should be experienced and trained to Level 3 of the Qualifications and Credit Framework or equivalent, and shouldn't give injected vaccines to infants and pre-school children.

Training by role

Role	Training expected
Pharmacist or pharmacy technician	Training in line with the national minimum standards, anaphylaxis, basic life support, and under-18s training if relevant
Delegated vaccinator under a VGD	Competence in the administration method, anaphylaxis, cold chain, relevant CPPE e-learning, and a signed-off competency assessment if new or returning after more than 12 months
Delegated recorder under a VGD	Knowledge of documentation and record keeping

How often do you need to retrain?

Requirement	How often
Face-to-face injection technique and basic life support, including adrenaline for anaphylaxis	Periodically. The owner and vaccinator decide when retraining is needed
Basic life support and anaphylaxis training	Annually, or as the employer specifies
Annual update training	Every year, half a day minimum under the national standards
CPPE Declaration of Competence, if used	Every two years
Competency reassessment	When returning after a prolonged break

How do you show competence?

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians can use the CPPE Vaccination Services Declaration of Competence (every two years, if used) or the UKHSA vaccinator competency assessment tool. Pharmacy owners must keep evidence of competence for everyone who delivers the service.

Checklist for pharmacy owners

Choose a PGD or VGD for each service.
Confirm every vaccinator's foundation training, face-to-face training and annual update.
Check basic life support and anaphylaxis training is within the last 12 months.
Collect Declarations of Competence or competency assessments.
Make sure everyone has signed the PGD or VGD and the SOP, in each pharmacy where they vaccinate.
Check DBS requirements. An enhanced DBS with a children's barred list check is needed for childhood flu, COVID-19 vaccination of under-18s and home visits.
Register on MYS by 30 November 2026.

Common questions

Can a pharmacy technician give flu vaccines? Yes. Registered pharmacy technicians can vaccinate under a PGD, and can be the clinician and supervisor under a VGD.

Can a dispenser give flu or COVID-19 vaccines? Yes, but only under a VGD, after a registered professional has assessed the patient and taken consent, and with that professional supervising on site.

Can foundation trainees vaccinate? Not under a PGD. They can prepare, administer and record under a VGD if they're trained, authorised and supervised.

Do I need face-to-face training? Yes. NHS England requires face-to-face training for injection technique and basic life support, and e-learning alone isn't enough for new vaccinators.

Is the national protocol still valid? No. It lapsed on 31 March 2026 and VGDs replaced it.

Vaccination training for your team

Pre-Reg Shortcuts runs vaccination training for pharmacists, foundation trainees, pharmacy technicians and dispensers at a limited number of training locations, with a discount for programme members.

To discuss vaccination training options, contact our team today or email info@preregshortcuts.com.