Polio eradication campaign restarts in Karachi

The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 2.5 million children in the city.

KARACHI: The polio eradication campaign, which was halted after the killing of four vaccinators in Karachi, restarted on Monday, Express News reported.

On the first day of the two-day campaign, children under the age of five were vaccinated in central Karachi. Children in other parts of the city will be administered polio drops on Tuesday.

The campaign aims to vaccinate more than 2.5 million children.

Given the security threats, the anti-polio campaigners are provided high security.

Pakistan is one of three countries in the world still at risk of polio virus but the door-to-door campaign to get rid of the disease was stopped after five female health workers were shot dead in December 2012 at the start of a nationwide polio vaccination drive.

The seemingly coordinated attacks in Karachi and Peshawar raised fears for the safety of inoculators and highlighted resistance to a campaign by the Taliban.