PESHAWAR, Oct 28: The authorities have postponed an anti-polio campaign in Swat district in view of clashes between security forces and the Taliban militants, according to officials.

“We have deferred the three-day anti-polio campaign in Swat due to lack of security for vaccinators. The campaign will be launched after the law and order situation improves,” said officials of the health department’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

They said about 184,000 children below the age of five miss immunisation in

Swat district because of the fighting there, adding that the decision to postpone the drive was taken at a meeting attended by the officials of the programme on immunisation, World Health Organisation and Unicef.

One official said the health department had not been given clearance by law-enforcement agencies for carrying out the campaign, where experts say polio virus is still in circulation.

Maulana Fazlullah, who is battling security forces, is opposed to children being vaccinated due to which the number of children who need to be immunised has soared over the past few months.