Kraków reports a 3,800 percent jump in pertussis cases in 2024, prompting the city to roll out a free vaccination initiative for adults.
Steep Rise in Pertussis Cases
According to Kraków’s mayor, 1,237 pertussis cases were recorded in 2024, compared to only 32 in 2023—an almost 3,800 percent increase from the previous year.
Mayor Aleksander Miszalski warned that pertussis is highly contagious and can lead to serious complications, especially for infants, the elderly, or immunocompromised individuals.
Free Vaccination Program Launched
The city, together with regional authorities, is offering complimentary pertussis vaccinations to adults who were not vaccinated in the past decade, to 19‑year‑olds who missed a booster, and to individuals with incomplete vaccination histories that are not publicly reimbursed.
The program excludes those who are already eligible for free public vaccinations.
Mayor Urges the Public to Vaccinate
Mayor Miszalski described the vaccine as “the simplest and most effective way” to prevent a disease that is re‑emerging with great force, urging residents—especially families with children and the elderly—to take advantage of the free shots.
National Pertussis Surge
Poland registered 32,430 pertussis cases in 2024, the highest number in recent decades, according to the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
The disease, caused by Bordetella pertussis, often presents as a prolonged, visit‑to‑visit cough in children and chronic, non‑specific cough in adults, making diagnosis challenging without laboratory confirmation.
