Founded in 2004 by Dr Professor Emeritus Marian Horzinek, the VGG published the first set of Global Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats in 2007. In 2009, Emeritus Professor Michael Day and assumed the role of Chair. He oversaw the publication of an updated version of the Global Guidelines in 2010. The VGG went on to produce a set of regional Guidelines for Asia in 2015, a further revision of its Global Guidelines in 2015, and a set of regional Guidelines for Latin America in 2019.

Work on the next update of the Global Guidelines was delayed by the untimely death of Professor Day in 2020. His contribution to the VGG and to the WSAVA was immeasurable. Later in 2020, Professor Squires was appointed VGG Chair.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic also disrupted the VGG’s work but the most recent update to its Global Vaccination Guidelines was published in early 2024. Under the chairmanship of Professor Mary Marcondes, the VGG has recently embarked on a new regional vaccination Guidelines project in Sub-Saharan Africa.