Buck up campers, it might all be over soon. On Monday morning, Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) and BioNTech (NASDAQ:BNTX) announced success with their coronavirus vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, following the first interim analysis of a gigantic phase 3 trial.

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The independent data monitors tasked with watching the phase 3 trial had been expected to conduct the first interim analysis once 32 trial participants had tested positive for COVID-19. Once the FDA, Pfizer, and BioNTech had finished discussing the merits of waiting for a minimum of 62 cases to conduct the first interim analysis, the number of volunteers that tested positive for COVID-19 had already reached 94.

It looks like the vast majority of the first 94 positive cases occurred in the placebo group. BNT162b2 was found more than 90% effective at preventing COVID-19 infection based on the results of the first interim analysis.

Since beginning on Jul. 27, 2020, the phase 3 study has enrolled more than 43,500 participants. None of those participants know if they've been randomized to receive BNT162b2 or a placebo yet. The independent data monitors will keep all the data blinded until a total of 164 volunteers test positive for COVID-19.

To satisfy the FDA's coronavirus vaccine safety hurdles, Pfizer and BioNTech will need to wait until at least the third week of November. The agency is insisting on a median of two months of safety data following their second dose of BNT162b2.