Pakistan launches anti-polio vaccine drive targeting 44M children amid tight security

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has launched its second nationwide anti-polio campaign of the year Monday in an effort to inoculate 44 million children under the age of 5.  Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul-Haq-Kakar launched the five-day vaccination campaign in the capital, Islamabad. He urged parents in a televised address to cooperate with the 350,000  health workers who are going door-to-door to administer vaccine drops to children. The government deployed police and security forces to ensure the safety of the inoculation drive workers. They have been attacked during past anti-polio campaigns, which militants falsely claimed were a Western conspiracy to sterilize children. Pakistan has registered two new polio cases since January.