This is so much oversimplification that it hurts. 1) BioNTech/Pfizer haven't "just" tested for safety (I'm implying that's what you meant with your "trying to

This is so much oversimplification that it hurts. 1) BioNTech/Pfizer haven't "just" tested for safety (I'm implying that's what you meant with your "trying to lift the ban" hyperbole), they have also used the clinical trials to single out one particular candidate out of at least four initial candidates for best expected efficacy. And they have used the trials to evaluate the best dosage. Medical trials are about much more than just the safety aspect. 2) It's easy to say "we could simply have broadly distributed this vaccine back in March" now in hindsight. However, in March, there were serious doubts about whether it would even work, considering the entire technology hadn't ever yielded a fully approved commercial vaccine. 3) I don't want to highlight this once more, but COVID-19 wouldn't be so deadly if the US hadn't fucked up its response in every possible way, and some that were thought to be impossible. A good part of those "over a thousand people dying per day" are self-inflicted and have nothing to do with any vaccine tests or vaccine approval timelines.