The vaccine was mostly developed before the pandemic and then was designed in a day or 2 after the virus was isolated and characterized. Then they started testing it for safety and effectiveness.
Warp Speed was about being ready to make lots and lots of it once the testing was complete. It did a lot of good, but they probably should have spent more on it.
How so? The US COVID vaccination response was nothing short of incredible. Even with the knuckledraggers spewing nonesense, the vaccine was ready and widely available in the United States incredibly quickly relative to most of the rest of the world. I had completed my vaccination series (as a in-good-health, 20-something) before my Canadian friends even had the opportunity.
Warp Speed was about being ready to make lots and lots of it once the testing was complete. It did a lot of good, but they probably should have spent more on it.