How was the vaccine developed so quickly?
  • In developing a vaccine for COVID-19, researchers had to work quickly, but not at the risk of anyone’s safety. Researchers did not cut any corners or skip any steps. Safety and effectiveness were the top priorities. 
  • The accelerated timeline for developing COVID-19 vaccines was possible for several reasons: 
    • Researchers were able to use years of previous research in other viruses and vaccines to help inform a vaccine development process for COVID-19. 
    • Everyone involved dedicated all their resources and time to developing a COVID-19 vaccine. This includes research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, and philanthropic organizations. 
    • Many governments around the world, including the U.S. government, and private funders invested in the vaccine, which allowed pharmaceutical companies to focus on research and clinical trials instead of fundraising, one of the most time-consuming parts of vaccine development. 
    • Finally, because of the financial support, researchers were able to conduct different parts of the development process on parallel tracks instead of one after another. Usually, each phase in a clinical trial ends before the next phase begins, with several months to a year or more in between each phase. Vaccine developers use this time to plan and raise money. Because of the emergency presented by the pandemic, researchers developed the vaccines on parallel tracks, meaning that they completed the necessary steps at the same time or with some overlap. No steps were skipped in the process of developing the COVID-19 vaccines.

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1. Are the available COVID-19 vaccines safe and effective?
2. Is it safe to get my child vaccinated?
3. Why did it take so long for the FDA to make a decision about vaccines for children under 5?
4. Is it safe to get vaccinated if I am pregnant or breastfeeding?
5. How was the vaccine developed so quickly?
6. What ingredients are used in the vaccines?
7. What are the possible side effects of a COVID-19 vaccine?
8. Who is NOT recommended for each vaccine?
9. Can I get COVID-19 from the vaccine?
10. Is Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine safe?
11. Does the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine require special precautions?