RESEARCH PAPER
Rubella in Poland in 2024
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Zakład Epidemiologii Chorób Zakaźnych i Nadzoru,
Narodowy Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego PZH – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy
Submission date: 2026-02-10
Final revision date: 2026-06-25
Acceptance date: 2026-08-04
Online publication date: 2026-08-13
Corresponding author
Jakub Maciej Zbrzeżniak
Zakład Epidemiologii Chorób Zakaźnych i Nadzoru,
Narodowy Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego PZH – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy
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ABSTRACT
Background: Rubella is an infectious disease subject to epidemiological surveillance due to the health consequences of infections occurring during pregnancy. Rubella prevention and the elimination of congenital rubella remain essential elements of public health efforts in the WHO European Region. The effectiveness of the elimination strategy relies primarily on maintaining high levels of population immunization, achieved through universal vaccination. In Poland, rubella vaccination has been implemented universally as part of the MMR programme since 2003. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the epidemiological situation of rubella in Poland in 2024 in the context of disease elimination, taking into account the vaccination status of the population. Material and methods: The analysis was based on data from individual epidemiological case investigations collected in the EpiBaza system, as well as aggregated data from the annual bulletin “Infectious Diseases and Poisonings in Poland in 2024 '. Information on population immunity was obtained from the report “Vaccinations in Poland in 2024". Case classification was conducted in accordance with the current case definition. Results: In 2024, 193 rubella cases were reported in Poland (incidence 0.51/100,000), representing a decrease compared with 2023. The highest incidence was recorded in the Łódzkie Voivodeship (1.19/100 000), while no cases were reported in the Lubuskie Voivodeship. All cases were sporadic, with no outbreaks or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) identified. Most cases occurred among children aged 0–9 years (63.7%). Only 4.1% were laboratory confirmed; 29.0% (56/193) were unvaccinated, and vaccination status was unknown for 12.4%. In 2024, the vaccination coverage of 3-year-old children against measles, mumps and rubella was 94.0%, with the percentages in individual voivodeships ranging from 90.2% to 98.1%. Conclusions: In 2024, the number of reported rubella cases decreased compared to 2023, but the percentage of laboratory-confirmed cases remained very low, limiting a reliable assessment of the epidemiological situation. Given the low percentage of confirmed cases, overdiagnosis of rubella cannot be ruled out. Further strengthening epidemiological surveillance, increasing the percentage of laboratory confirmations, and maintaining high vaccination coverage with two doses of the MMR vaccine remain crucial for progress towards rubella elimination, in line with WHO recommendations.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The work was carried out as part of task No. S.1.BE.1.26