East of England Immunisation Team
Since 1 April 2013, national screening and immunisation programmes have been the responsibility of Screening and Immunisation Teams (SITs) comprised of NHS England employed professionals.
These webpages are primarily directed at health care professionals delivering the services that we commission. If you are a member of the public seeking information about NHS screening or immunisation programmes please go to the NHS website or speak to your GP, practice nurse or other health care professional.
Patient Group Directions (PGDs)
Patient Group Directions (PGD) for the supply and administration of vaccinations as part of the national immunisation schedule.
The legal definition of a PGD is “a written instruction for the supply and/or administration of a licensed medicine (or medicines) in an identified clinical situation, signed by a doctor or dentist and a pharmacist”. It applies to groups of patients who may not be individually identified before presenting for treatment.
NHS England/UKHSA has produced a suite of PGDs for Practices that have been commissioned by NHS England to deliver immunisations as set out in the Section 7a agreement.
The PGDs cover the authorisation of staff, documentation, audit requirements and general guidance on best practice required to safely administer vaccines.
Please note: This page is not routinely reviewed and it is the clinician’s responsibility to ensure that the PGDs they are using are up to date. If a PGD has expired and it has not been updated, these immunisations should be administered under a Patient Specific Direction (PSD) instead.
The following PGDs are for use by Practice Nurses in the East of England only.
The team provide immunisation support to health professionals. They can be contacted via the following email addresses:
- For East Anglia: England.eaimms@nhs.net
- For Essex: England.essexatimms@nhs.net
- For Herts and BLMK (Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes): England.immsqa@nhs.net
PGD List and Expiry dates
8 weeks
12 weeks
16 weeks
One year
- Hib/Men C vaccine
- Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, given as a single jab
- Pneumococcal (PCV) vaccine, second dose
- Men B vaccine third dose
2 – 15 years (including children in school years 1-11)
- LAIV v10.00 Sept 2021 – Expired 31/03/2022
3 years and 4 months
12-13 years (girls and boys from September 2019)
14 years
65 and over
- 2021/22 Flu PGD-Inactivated Influenza PGD – Expired 31/03/2022
- VALID UNTIL 30.8.2022 Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV)
- VALID FROM 31.8.2022 Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPV)
70 years
Vaccines for special groups
Additional vaccines for special groups include:
- Men B risk groups
- Men ACWY risk groups
- 2021/22 Flu PGD-Inactivated Influenza PGD – Expired 31/03/2022
- Whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women
- Hepatitis B vaccination for under 16s
- Hepatitis B Renal
- BCG vaccination – (no PGD available)
- Men ACWY for first-time university entrants
- LAIV PGD – Expired 31/03/2022
- PCV for at risk group
- Hib/Menc for at risk groups – From 01 August 2020, this PGD has been withdrawn. Immunisation Against Infectious Diseases ‘The Green Book’ no longer indicates additional Hib/MenC vaccination in accordance with the Hib/MenC Risk Groups PGD
Travel Vaccines
Useful links
- East of England Cold Chain Policy
- Fridge failures and stock incidents reporting
- Immunisation against infectious disease (The Green Book)
- Immunisation – gov.uk
- Annual influenza programme
- Vaccine update
- Vaccination of individuals with uncertain or incomplete immunisation status
- The immunisation schedule