By Reuters Staff

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       FILE PHOTO: Vials labelled "Astra Zeneca COVID-19 Coronavirus Vaccine" and a syringe are seen in front of a displayed AstraZeneca logo, in this illustration photo taken March 14, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

       (Reuters) - Canada will donate more than 1.3 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine to three African countries through the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, GAVI said on Thursday.

       Nigeria, Kenya and Niger will receive first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) said bit.ly/38ObqRv.

       The COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization and GAVI, aims to secure 2 billion vaccine doses for lower income countries by the end of 2021.

       Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru

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