In response, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate is working on a so-called whooping cough package to curb the spread of the disease.
The number of whooping cough cases remains significantly higher than in previous years. In January alone, doctors diagnosed 2,676 cases, compared to just 153 cases in the same month last year.
Throughout 2024, more than 32,000 cases were recorded, following a pattern of cyclical outbreaks every four to five years.
A major epidemic was expected in 2020, but the COVID-19 lockdown disrupted its spread.
Whooping cough package
The proposed whooping cough package includes changes to Poland’s mandatory vaccination program, such as moving the second booster dose from age 14 to age 11 and adding another booster at ages 16–17.
It also calls for pharmacists to be allowed to administer vaccinations in pharmacies, full reimbursement of whooping cough vaccines, and the inclusion of diagnostic testing in Poland’s public healthcare system.
Chief Sanitary Inspector Dr. Paweł Grzesiowski announced at the end of January that the proposal had been approved by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Council and submitted to the Ministry of Health.
Additional discussions are needed with the National Health Fund, as implementing the package would require increased spending on vaccinations and diagnostic testing.
Epidemiologists attribute the current rise in adult cases to waning immunity. Protective antibodies decline over time, and infection does not provide long-term immunity, meaning individuals can contract the disease multiple times.
To control the outbreak, health officials stress the importance of reducing vaccine refusal, ensuring adults receive booster shots every 10 years, and vaccinating pregnant women—an option that has been free since October.
By the end of December, around 30,000 pregnant women had received the vaccine.
Doctors warn that whooping cough can be particularly dangerous for newborns and infants, increasing the risk of complications and even death.
Infected infants often present with non-specific symptoms, such as slowed heart rate, making early diagnosis difficult.
To prevent the spread of the disease, medical experts recommend frequent handwashing, wearing protective masks in contact with infected individuals, and, in some cases, taking preventive antibiotics.
Spike in RSV infections
In addition to whooping cough, Poland saw 16,202 RSV infections in January, including nearly 6,000 cases in children under two years old. Although this is slightly lower than the same period last year, when nearly 19,000 cases were recorded, it remains a major public health concern.
In all of 2023, there were just over 12,000 RSV infections—less than what was recorded in January alone this year.
RSV is four times more contagious than the flu and is the leading cause of lower respiratory tract infections in children under 1 year old.
It spreads through airborne droplets and has an incubation period of four to six days. More than 90 percent of children will be exposed to the virus by their second birthday.
The highest risk groups include infants and people over 65, with the virus often causing severe bronchiolitis in young children and leading to hospitalizations among the seniors.
According to public health data, RSV causes over 270,000 hospitalizations annually among Europeans over 60, with around 20,000 dying in hospitals.
Flu cases rising sharply
Meanwhile, flu cases are also rising sharply. According to Poland’s electronic health records system, doctors diagnosed around 50,000 flu cases per week in January—five times the number recorded in November.
Flu infections are also four times higher than in January last year, with the dominant strain being influenza A, particularly the H1N1 subtype.
Chief Sanitary Inspectorate spokesman Marek Waszczewski cautioned that Poland has yet to reach the peak of this flu season.
Drop in COVID-19 cases
By contrast, confirmed COVID-19 cases have declined significantly compared to early 2024, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
January saw fewer than 8,000 infections, down from over 35,000 in the same month last year.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR/PAP/GIS