Our history, evolution and plans for the future
From Safer to Wait to Informing Consent
Safer to Wait was formed in May 2021, in response to the UK government’s decision to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine to under-18s.
The people behind Safer to Wait (and now Informing Consent) are a small group of concerned parents, teachers and lawyers. Liaising with a number of medical doctors, our goal in 2021 was to create a campaign of informed consent.
Pioneering Beginnings
Our foundation was built on a commitment to transparency and education.
Empowering Growth
We expanded our resources to address the evolving needs of families.
Our Journey Through Time
Explore the key events that have defined our path and strengthened our resolve to support families.
2005
Founding Year
Informing Consent was established to provide clear, unbiased information to parents.
2010
Expansion of Resources
We introduced new educational materials focusing on health and well-being.
2015
Digital Transformation
Launched our online platform, making resources accessible to a wider audience.
2020
Covid-19 Response
Developed comprehensive guides to help parents navigate the pandemic’s challenges.
2023
Future Vision
Continuing to innovate and expand our support for parents and caregivers worldwide.
2025
Global Outreach
Aiming to reach more communities with tailored resources and support.
Our Early Work
We began with a leaflet, distributed throughout the UK, simply outlining our concerns about the administration of a novel medical product to children (who were at no statistical risk from the virus).
Over time, our campaign expanded to include a website, videos, podcasts, interviews and presentations. Find out more on our Covid-19 page.
After launching the website in late 2021, we also challenged the decisions to extend the rollout to younger age groups and pregnant women.
A natural progression
Like many medics, serious questions about the safety and efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine prompted us to investigate other pharmaceuticals, including more established vaccines such as HPV. We have also explored the ways a parent might naturally build up a child’s immune system, or treat illness such as measles.
The right name
As our work evolved, and as we embarked on broader issues, we began to question whether our name (Safer to Wait) still reflected our aims and content.
Safer to Wait implied a reactive response to impending danger which, in 2021, reflected our sense of urgency. We were encouraging parents to wait for long-term data on what was essentially a new, experimental product.
Now, in 2025, we know that many parents want to be more proactive in the health choices they make for their children. We have therefore chosen a name which reflects stronger agency by parents in their decision-making.
Informing your consent
We want to help ensure that all those decisions are underpinned by a strong evidence base. Informed consent is at the heart of medical decisions, and parents are right to demand facts before giving consent.
The standard childhood vaccines are different from the novel Covid-19 vaccine, in that there is a lot of data already available. We welcome more research – but we also encourage parents to review what is already published.
Helping you to get started
There is an immense amount of information out there. It can be hard to know where to start or who to trust. Our goal is to curate the evidence and present the facts, in an accessible format. What you do with that information, and the next steps you take, are up to you.
Your child: your choice.
Medical ethics
One of our Safer to Wait advisers, Dr Liz Evans, is a specialist in medical ethics. She’s also the CEO and Founder of the UK Medical Freedom Alliance.
An ethical approach to medicine has to have at its foundation informed consent. As Liz says, each of us has “(a) fundamental legal and ethical right to fully informed consent”.
“Patient autonomy (or in the case of children, parent autonomy) … means you have the right to give your consent prior to any medical treatment. For consent to be valid, you should … be given information about the test and treatment options available, what they involve and their risks and benefits, and base your decision on that advice.”
Dr Liz Evans, UKMFA.
Childhood vaccines – Calling the Shots
Initially, Informing Consent’s work will focus on childhood vaccines.
We will look at each vaccine on the UK childhood vaccine schedule.
From NHS recommendations and patient information leaflets, to trial data and potential risks, we plan to cover essential information that every parent should be aware of.
As Safer to Wait, we explored the HPV and FluMist vaccines. As Informing Consent, we’ll cover these in more detail, and investigate the other childhood vaccines.
Get involved
Stay up to date by joining our mailing list – and, if you would like to support our work, we are very grateful for donations.