Vaccines have been around for a long time, and the science used to create the COVID-19 vaccines has been studied for years. While the COVID-19 vaccines are new, the science used to create them is not. COVID-19 vaccines were tested for safety in large clinical trials with tens of thousands of people. The timeframe between trials and vaccine production was shortened, but not the trials themselves. They still had the same strict safety measures and reviews as usual. No steps were skipped or shortened. The COVID-19 vaccines took much less time than normal to be released because they were made at the same time as they were being studied and approved, rather than afterward, to save time. The FDA approved the vaccines under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA), meaning the vaccines were proven safe and effective.