The COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna were created with a method that has been in development for years, so the companies could start the vaccine development process early in the pandemic. The vaccine developers didn’t skip any testing steps when making the vaccine. Studies found that these two vaccines are both about 95% effective, and reported no serious or life-threatening side effects.
Supporting Links:
Were the COVID-19 vaccines rushed? Here's how the vaccines were developed so fast Nebraska Medicine (accessed 12/24)
https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/were-the-covid-19-vaccines-rushed
https://www.nebraskamed.com/COVID/were-the-covid-19-vaccines-rushed
Infographics:
OWS Vaccine Timeline ALTERNATE Design v8b (defense.gov, accessed 12/24)
https://media.defense.gov/2020/Aug/12/2002475961/-1/-1/1/WARP-SPEED-VACCINE-TIMELINE.PDF