SS26 COVID Campaign Guidance & Updates

There have been a number of queries raised with regard to the SS26 COVID campaign that is running from Monday 13 April to Tuesday 30 June 2026, in an effort to support you all we have provided centralised guidance, FAQs and updates below. This will continue to be updated throughout the campaign as and when new information is released.

OFF-SITE DELIVERY OF COVID-19 VACCINATIONS

As per paragraph 4.12 of the Community Pharmacy advanced service specification for COVID-19 and adult influenza vaccination programmes: 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 Pharmacy contractors are required to obtain consent from the commissioners if they wish to carry out vaccinations at a location other than the pharmacy premises e.g long-stay care home, patients home etc. The Seasonal COVID-19 and Influenza Vaccination Services are a nationally specified service, with responsibilities for oversight and assurance delegated to NHS England’s regional commissioning team.

If

• you are signed up to deliver COVID-19 vaccination this Spring 26, 
• you expect to need to offer vaccination in a location other than your registered site, 
• you have not already completed a request form,please seek permission to carry out vaccinations at a location other than your registered pharmacy premises by completing the following form, confirming that you comply with various requirements or providing additional detail if your pharmacy does not currently comply with any requirement:

Community Pharmacy COVID-19 and Influenza 2026-27 off-site vaccination permission

This can be completed using a computer or smart phone and should only take a few minutes. If you are unable to access MS forms for any reason, please instead contact the RVOC team on england.eoe-vacprg@nhs.net for support.

VACCINE GROUP DIRECTIVE

IMMUNISATION-RELATED INCIDENT REPORTING

There is now an electronic incident form for reporting any immunisation-related incidents to NHS England.

How it Works:

• Once submitted, the form will automatically be sent to your local Screening & Immunisation Team (SIT)
• You should receive an automated acknowledgement that the form has been submitted (if you do not receive an acknowledgement of submission, please contact RVOC: england.eoe-vacprg@nhs.net)
• If your SIT requires any further information, they will contact you (usually within 2 working days). If you do not hear from your SIT, please assume all the necessary information has been received, logged and the incident has been closed

Please see the NHSE website for the latest cold chain policy

If you are unsure of what classes as an incident, please see: Vaccine incident guidance: Responding to errors in vaccine storage, handling and administration

SPIKEVAX – SMALL PACKS AVAILABLE

New smaller pack sizes of Spikevax (LP.8.1) are now available to order through the Supply Dashboard on FDP from Tuesday 31 March, with first deliveries to sites from 7 April onwards.

Alongside the existing 50 dose (10 vial) pack, sites can now order a smaller 10 dose (2 vial) pack with a maximum cap of 30 doses (6 vials) for smaller pack size of Spikevax. This gives sites greater flexibility to order volumes that more closely match their planned vaccination activity, helping to reduce the risk of expiry waste.

Please note: orders of up to 30 doses (3 smaller packs) will be fulfilled using the 10 dose pack. Orders above this threshold will be fulfilled using the full 50 dose pack where smaller packs have been exhausted. Sites will be able to place orders for 10, 20, 30, 50 and multiples of 50 doses. Any orders above 30 doses will have to be in the multiple of 50 i.e. sites cannot order 80 or 120 doses of Spikevax LP.8.1.

Spikevax Shelf Life and Clinic Availability Alignment

Consumables
Combined needle and syringe (CNS) sets are supplied automatically with vaccine orders in boxes of 100. The ordering system tracks cumulative doses ordered and only triggers a new CNS box when the running total exceeds the previous supply. This means CNS will not be included with every order but only when the system calculates that existing stock should be exhausted.
For example, a provider ordering 50 doses receives 100 CNS with that first order. A second order of 50 doses generates no CNS, as the system calculates 50 CNS should remain. A third order of 20 doses triggers a new box of 100 CNS, as the running total now exceeds the original 100 supplied. A fourth order of 50 doses again generates no CNS, as 30 CNS should remain from the previous box. If you have a surplus of consumables, you can deselect the linked consumables bundle when placing your order through the Supply Dashboard.
Patient Information Leaflets (PILs) are included as standard on all orders and cannot be deselected.

Stocktake reminder
A stocktake must be submitted on the FDP Supply Dashboard within the previous 7 days before placing any new vaccine order.

UPDATE ON ALLOCATION DONATION PROCESS

Due to a technical issue, the allocation donation function will not be available directly to providers in the FDP Supply Dashboard for the Spring 2026 programme.

What this means for providers

If you need to donate your allocation to another site, to support collaboration, or if you need to receive a donation from another site, please escalate your request to your ICB in the first instance. Your ICB will then escalate the request to Region (East of England), to approve and to carry out this action on your behalf.

Where a request meets the above criteria, your ICB will submit the movement request to Region (for approval and action).

How to submit a request 

Please include the following information with the request:

• Region: East of England
• ICB (from and to):
• Site name and ODS code (from and to):
• Pillar Type (from and to):
• Vaccine Type:
• Allocation volume to transfer:
• Whether the movement is within a Network DES collaboration:
• Justification for the request:

LOW THROUGHPUT SITES

Sites expected to administer fewer than 200 vaccinations during the programme have initially been allocated Sanofi Nuvaxovid vaccine, with their full allocation volume available from the outset. This approach reflects the limited wastage risk associated with this product and ensures these sites are not operationally constrained by phased release arrangements.

Any additional vaccine supply beyond this allocation will be provided in Spikevax. This includes any provider requests for additional vaccine, and all TDM increases. This approach retains a national reserve of Nuvaxovid for deployment during the final weeks of the campaign, when demand is expected to be lower, reducing the risk of Spikevax wastage overall given its shorter 30-day refrigerated shelf life and multi dose vials.

Detained Estates (DE) vaccination sites will continue to order and receive Nuvaxovid throughout the campaign. All other provider types, including hospital hubs, will receive Spikevax. Sites newly joining the programme will receive their initial allocations in Spikevax.

If you have any questions, please contact your ICB

PGD UPDATES

NHS England Publishes Spring 2026 COVID‑19 Vaccination PGD

19  March 2026 — NHS England has officially authorised and released the Patient Group Direction (PGD) for use in the upcoming Spring 2026 COVID‑19 vaccination campaign.

Download the Spring 2026 COVID‑19 Vaccination PGD

This follows the earlier publication of operational guidance designed to support vaccination sites preparing to participate in this spring’s programme.

Upcoming changes to vaccination legislation

The legislation that enabled the development of National Protocols for COVID-19 vaccine administration is due to lapse on 31 March 2026. The Government has consulted on a replacement .the Vaccine Group Direction, a proposed new legal mechanism that would continue to allow suitably trained registered and non‑registered staff to administer vaccines.

Subject to Parliamentary approval, the COVID‑19 Vaccine Group Direction for the spring programme is expected to be published on 1 April 2026.

Service Timelines

Vaccination period

13 April 2026 – 30 June 2026

Public bookings

The national booking service and the 119 telephone line will be open for appointments from:

7 April 2026 – 29 June 2026

COVID‑19 Vaccination Service Registration Remains Open

Pharmacy owners who wish to take part in the Spring 2026 vaccination campaign and have not yet registered can still do so by completing the electronic registration form:

Access the COVID‑19 Vaccination Service registration declaration form

Please note: pharmacies registering at this stage are not guaranteed vaccine supply at the start of the campaign.

The registration form will remain available until 31 March 2026.

BANK HOLIDAY VACCINE DELIVERIES

There are no COVID-19 vaccine deliveries on these bank holidays:

• Friday 3 April (Easter Friday)
• Monday 6 April (Easter Monday)
• Monday 4 May (Early May bank holiday)
• Monday 25 May (Spring bank holiday)

Key dates for your orders

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Action needed before ordering

Before placing any order, check that your site has completed a stocktake on Site Stock Manager within the last 7 days. If you haven’t done a recent stocktake, the system will block your order. Once you submit a new stocktake, allow up to 2 hours for the system to update before trying to order again.

Support

If you need support with stocktakes or ordering, contact your ICB.

KEY RESOURCES & GUIDANCE

• Seasonal Vaccination Services – COVID-19 and Adult Flu (CPE)
• Setting Up Your FDP Account 
• Training Guides
• Programme Updates & Documents
• FDP Supply Dashboard
• Provider Programme Guide
• Book a COVID vaccination (NHS)
• Which Vaccine? COVID Poster
• NHS spring COVID-19 Q&As to support conversations with the public
• COVID Campaign Resources
• Co-Administration Visual Guide 2026

HWE ICB TRAINING RECORDINGS

Recordings of all training sessions are now available on the V&S Futures workspace, alongside updated training guides covering the key changes for spring. These include:

• How the new provider-led vaccine supply model works
• Your site’s programme forecast and how allocations are released
• How to order vaccine and select delivery dates through FDP
• Stock take requirements and compliance
• Practical demonstrations of FDP applications.

Recording Links:

• Spring 2026 Vaccine Supply – GP Practice – Full Session  |  Futures  |  FDP
• Spring 2026 Vaccine Supply – All Other Providers – Full Session  |  Futures  |  FDP
• Complete new and update existing stocktake (Bitesize)  |  Futures  |  FDP
• Sign up for email notifications (Bitesize)  |  Futures  |  FDP
• How to log into the FDP (bitesize)  |  Futures  |  FDP
• How to update site storage capacity (bitesize)  |  Futures  |  FDP

FAQs

How do I know if I successfully signed up for the SS26 COVID campaign?

• If you have signed up for the SS26 Covid campaign, unless you have been contacted directly by NHSE you can assume you have been successful.

How do I know my allocation of vaccines?

• The allocation number of vaccines will be available to view on your FDP platform, it is important that you order a quantity within this allocation and select your delivery date prior to the start of the campaign on Monday 13 April.
• Please note: Vaccination allocations are still being uploaded onto the FDP supply dashboard, do not be alarmed if this hasn’t happened yet as they are being worked through over the next two weeks.

How do I turn on or off the automated replenishment on the FDP platform?

• Log in to FDP
• Go to Vaccine Supply / Ordering
• Select your pharmacy site
• Navigate to Stock Settings
• Then Auto-Replenishment
• Toggle it on or off according to your preference.

When can I start uploading patient appointments to the MYA platform?

• Appointments will be available for bookings on the NBS website to patients from Tuesday 7 April