New Delhi: A vaccine is seen as the world’s best bet for taming a virus that has infected more than 48 million people, led to more than 1.2 million deaths, roiled economies and disrupted billions of lives since it was first identified in China in December. India raced ahead with work on its Covid-19 vaccine while Britain’s AstraZeneca said its deliveries were running “a little bit late” as countries around the world sought to conquer the pandemic and rescue their economies.

Some 45 vaccine candidates are in human trials worldwide, with Pfizer Inc saying it could file in late November for US authorization, opening up the possibility of a vaccine being available in the United States by the end of the year. “We aren’t putting all our eggs in one basket,” Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Thursday.

A vaccine could be launched as early as February – months earlier than expected – as last-stage trials begin this month and studies have so far showed it is safe and effective, a senior government scientist told Reuters. The vaccine has shown good efficacy,” senior ICMR scientist Rajni Kant, who is also a member of its Covid-19 task force, said in New Delhi. “It is expected that by the beginning of next year, February or March, something would be available.”