"If we keep getting rolled over first up it's going to put us under a hell of a lot of pressure," said Vaughan. "It's something we must put right in the next week."
England have seven days, but no 'warm-up' match, before they start again in Johannesburg, having decided several months ago that rest and net practice would serve them better at this stage of a hectic series.
"We certainly won't be having any naughty boy nets but individual batsmen will be working on various aspects of their game as they please over the next few days," promised Vaughan.
"Then there will be three official days of hard work in Johannesburg before the next Test.
"The batsmen have scored runs in the past and they'll score them in the future. People must play their way but we have to work the situations we find ourselves in a little bit better."
Vaughan admits he is "probably at the head" of the queue of batsmen needing to make an impact, having totalled 84 runs in six innings during this series.
"I don't feel in too bad touch but I keep getting to 10 or 20 and getting out," he said. "You can't afford to do that.
"But I'm certainly not one to throw the towel in and I'll be working very hard over the next six days.
"I've been in a position like this before and I'll certainly come back from it."
England made a better fist of batting second time around. But an overnight position of 151 for five, with a second new ball just around the corner and 90 overs ahead of them, barely warranted a flicker of optimism.
Then, when Graham Thorpe departed during the sixth over of the morning it was always likely to be just a matter of time.
Shaun Pollock drew the Surrey left-hander into a forward defensive on the line of off stump and, when the ball drifted away late, an outside edge invited keeper Abraham de Villiers to take a diving catch in front of first slip.
Two balls later, Makhaya Ntini went within an inch or two of accounting for Jones.
England's No 7 could only nudge a lifter towards short leg where Hashim Amla just failed to get his fingers underneath the ball.
Had Jones gone then it might have been all over before the mid-morning drinks break. Instead, Ashley Giles dug in defiantly while his partner produced a nice mix of caution and aggression. Just what was needed throughout the first innings, really.
Together the seventh-wicket pair added 62 runs in generally fine style. But when it looked as though they might make it through to lunch, spinner Nicky Boje removed them both in the space of nine balls.
Mind you, the left-armer needed the considerable assistance of (who else?) Jacques Kallis.
The man who has scored 215 runs in this match dived right at slip to get rid of Giles, then dived even further to get his fingers underneath an edge from Jones.
At least Hoggard and Simon Jones refused to come quickly and quietly after lunch. But Jones edged Pollock to Kallis in the slip cordon and the scoreboard read 253 for nine.
To the delight of the ever loyal Barmy Army, Harmison swung and drove his way to a Test best 42 while Hoggard supplied stout defence at the other end.
But England really need to see Harmison taking wickets (he's managed-just seven so far this series) and he was able to start thinking about once Ntini finally had him caught in the gulley.
South Africa were understandably ecstatic, and there's every chance that Graeme Smith's team will be even stronger in Johannesburg.
Mark Boucher, the best keeper-batsman in this part of the world, was recalled to their squad tonight after being frozen out for several months.
As for England, they can only work on getting their game back together again while hoping that Andrew Flintoff is fit enough to play a full part in the Wanderers Test.
Vaughan insists he will be but the all-rounder admitted tonight that his side felt "very sore".
