【明報專訊】Some good news has emerged about the development of vaccines for COVID-19 in Europe and the US. A vaccine developed by Pfizer, a US drug company, in partnership with a German biotech company has an efficacy rate of over 90%. The news has given a fillip to the financial markets, which anticipate a resumption of economic activities. However, there is still a long road ahead in the global fight against the pandemic, and the expectation that the pandemic will soon come to an end is merely wishful thinking. At the moment the duration of immunity of the vaccine is unknown, while the problem of a production bottleneck must also be overcome. This is also a similar problem facing vaccines developed by mainland China. Even if the technical issues are all overcome, the anti-vaccine movements in Europe and the US also need to be dealt with. Many American people are believers in conspiracy theories about the pandemic and refuse to wear a mask, let alone getting vaccinated. Even if there is an abundant supply of vaccines, there is no guarantee that the pandemic can be controlled effectively.