The “coronavirus”, the virus that causes SARS-COV2, or COVID-19 is not just a singular type of virus. In fact, there are hundreds of known coronaviruses, some of which cause disease. Scientists have been studying the coronavirus family of viruses for more than 50 years, so developers of the COVID-19 vaccines were not starting from scratch. Due to the global pandemic, scientists around the world knew the importance of developing a vaccine quickly. International health organizations worked together to fund, develop, and manufacture COVID-19 vaccines that protect individuals and meet the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) rigorous requirements for safety and effectiveness.  To assure that the vaccines would be ready quickly, many of the steps were done simultaneously. For example, as the vaccines were used in clinical trials, government and organizations started preparing for their manufacture and distribution, which meant that transitions from one step to the next were done quickly. The vaccines were required to meet the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality.