Kalisz reports 1,716 chickenpox cases this year—over three times the annual average—sparking alarm among local health officials.
Record number of cases
Since the beginning of 2024, Kalisz has recorded 1,716 chickenpox cases—a figure three times higher than previous years. For comparison, the city reported 1,388 cases nationwide this year, while 2023 and 2022 saw 624 and 627 cases, respectively.
Experts attribute the rise to the virus’s high infectivity and the fact that many children have not yet gained immunity, either through past infection or vaccination.
Expected phenomenon
Elżbieta Wojtyła, from the County Sanitary‑Epidemiological Station in Kalisz, says the surge is a natural outcome of accumulating susceptible individuals. She adds that the situation does not warrant alarm.
Prof. Ernest Kuchar, an infectious disease specialist, echoes this view, noting that chickenpox is among the most contagious childhood diseases, transmitted via droplets and contact with blister fluid.
Dangerous complications
While most children experience mild symptoms, the disease can lead to complications requiring hospitalization, such as bacterial superinfections and neurological issues like cerebellar ataxia, which may persist for months.
Adults tend to suffer more severe disease, and shingles may develop years after the initial infection.
When to see a doctor?
Prof. Kuchar advises monitoring the child’s general condition rather than only temperature. Persistent fever, a deteriorating appearance, rapid breathing, or delayed capillary refill warrant prompt medical consultation.
Vaccinations
Health authorities urge parents to take advantage of free vaccination programs. Children attending nurseries up to age three—or 3½ if still enrolled—are eligible, as are adults over 65. Elżbieta Wojtyła highlights that vaccination is far safer than contracting the wild virus. Prof. Kuchar adds that immunization provides superior protection.
