The country's vaccination programme, known as the Children’s Vaccination Calendar, was introduced in the 1960s and has expanded over time.
It now requires parents to vaccinate their children against 12 infectious diseases: tuberculosis, hepatitis B, rotavirus, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, Hib, pneumococcus, measles, mumps and rubella.
All children residing in Poland for more than three months must be vaccinated. Parents who fail to comply may face fines, though enforcement is often a lengthy process and not consistently applied.
According to recent data, over 80,000 children in Poland have not received the mandatory vaccinations, a number that continues to grow.
Many of these diseases were largely eliminated due to widespread immunisation, but declining vaccination rates have led to their resurgence. Recent cases of diphtheria, polio and whooping cough highlight the risks.
Poland's Chief Sanitary Inspector, Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski, has warned that parents who refuse vaccines and fail to follow the immunisation schedule for their children pose a threat to public health.
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Click on the audio player above for a report by Agnieszka Bielawska.