The vaccines followed the same rigorous testing and approval process that Health Canada uses for all other vaccines and medical products. No steps were skipped, and all safety procedures were followed.

The vaccines were developed quickly because of technological advances and because nonmedical parts of approval (bureaucratic processes and rubber-stamping) were fast tracked. Several additional factors also accelerated the pace of development:

• Effort: Tens of billions of dollars were given to the world’s top scientists to help make the vaccine, and this collaborative effort led to rapid development
• Monitoring: Health Canada is constantly looking at new science and research as it emerges around the COVID-19 vaccines
• Priority: The vaccine was given priority to pass through the administrative process quickly, but no safety steps were skipped