Godunderscor
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Full Attack has some weird wording. To properly explain the conundrum, I'll have to reference some other rules first. To begin, they can't be started and completed like some other Full-Rounds actions can. This rule isn't used often, but here it is:
"The "start full-round action" standard action lets you start undertaking a full-round action, which you can complete in the following round by using another standard action. You can't use this action to start or complete a full attack, charge, run, or withdraw." So it looks like Full Attacks have to be accomplished all in one turn. That's the interpretation I've always seen in play, but then I see this rule:
Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack
After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks, depending on how the first attack turns out and assuming you have not already taken a move action this round. If you've already taken a 5-foot step, you can't use your move action to move any distance, but you could still use a different kind of move action.
I bolded the relevant section. This text is not only superfluous, but confusing. The first section makes sense in play but is a little confusing rules-wise. Basically, every character that could legally make a Full Attack is considered to do so if they begin their turn with an attack. It's a crucial difference from them making an Attack action - a type of Standard action - because that would mean they couldn't use the rest of their attacks after the first resolved, since they would run into this rule:
"In a normal round, you can perform a standard action and a move action, or you can perform a full-round action." In play, this is intuitive and it all works with the "After your first attack, you can decide to take a move action instead of making your remaining attacks," wording. Players are assumed to be using a Full Attack. This is why Vital Strike can't be used with a Full Attack.
"When you use the attack action, you can make one attack at your highest base attack bonus that deals additional damage. Roll the weapon’s damage dice for the attack twice and add the results together..." Vital Strike is an Attack action, which is a specific Standard Action. Because you're specifically saying you're using your Standard Action, you can't be making a Full-Round, and aren't making a Full Attack.
Why is this so much trouble? Taken as is, the "assuming you have not already taken a move action this round" is just completely useless. But that's not even the worst part of all this. The worst is the section heading.
Deciding between an Attack or a Full Attack
As Full Attack is a type of Full-Round Action, Attack is a type of Standard Action. Using this wording - along with the aforementioned move action language - makes it seem the first attack in a round is always an Attack Action and that a Full Attack is a conversion of the Move Action following it. (Which would make Vital Strike a must-have, though that's not actually the worst thing.)
The trouble here is "Attack" is just too general. In other threads across the web there is a suggestion to rename the Attack action the Standard Attack. Given all the trouble I've gone through making this thread, I concur with their motion to distinguish language.
TL;DR - Name your s~*+ better Paizo.