KARACHI, Feb 22: Some risky areas, apparently home to anti-social elements, in Landhi were not covered on the first day of a four-day vaccination drive against polio that simultaneously began in Korangi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and other parts of district east amid security measures taken by the law-enforcement agencies on Friday.

“Today, we went to UC-1 (Muzaffarabad) and UC-3 (Daud Chowrangi) in Landhi and faced no trouble,” said a town health official, adding that data collection would take some time.

The official said police officials accompanied each team, while Rangers personnel were patrolling the area on motorbikes till the campaign ended late afternoon.

According to the official, risky areas such as Gulshan-i-Buner, where two vaccinators were killed in December 2012, Sherpao Colony and Sawati Mohalla were not covered on the first day of the drive.

“Although we are facing problems due to unavailability of volunteer vaccinators, we intend to go into these areas on the last day of the campaign, with tougher security measures in place,” he added.

Giving details of the progress of the anti-polio drive in other areas, Dr Aslam Pervaiz, district officer (preventive), said that it was the first day of the four-day drive in the district east, while the vaccination had already been under way in other districts.

“While the drive is under way in North Nazimabad, North Karachi, Gulberg, Liaquatabad and Saddar, the areas where it has been postponed due to a strike earlier this week will be covered later,” he said.