Several More Hurdles to Clear Before Pfizer Vaccine Can Be Used, Johnson Says

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a press conference where he announces new restrictions to help combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, at 10 Downing Street in London, on Oct. 31, 2020. Alberto Pezzali/Pool via Reuters

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that one significant hurdle has been cleared on the path to a vaccine for COVID-19, but there were still several more to overcome.

His comments come after the latest results released by New York-based Pfizer and German biotechnology company BioNTech show a vaccine candidate was strongly effective in a large phase 3 study.