INTRODUCTION. After a period of very low incidence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe experienced a marked resurgence of pertussis in 2023-2024; Poland was among the countries with the highest numbers of reported cases. AIM. To present the epidemiology of pertussis in Poland against the European background, the causes of the resurgence, and vaccination strategies protecting infants, indicating the key data gaps. MATERIAL AND METHODS. A scoping review of the literature combined with a descriptive analysis of routine surveillance data from the National Institute of Public Health NIH – National Research Institute, the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. RESULTS. In 2024, 32 656 pertussis cases were registered in Poland (incidence 86.94 per 100 000), over 35 times more than in 2023 and almost five times more than in the previous peak of 2016; 3 681 patients (11.3%) were hospitalised. The wave peaked in the fourth quarter of 2024 and subsided in 2025 (preliminarily 11 323 cases). More than half of the cases with known age (57.5%) occurred at the age of 0-19 years, most numerously in the 10-14 age group. The increase occurred despite high infant vaccination coverage, with deteriorating uptake of booster doses. CONCLUSIONS. The resurgence results from the natural epidemic cycle, waning vaccine-induced immunity, reduced natural boosting during the pandemic, shortfalls in vaccination uptake, and the evolution of Bordetella pertussis. The most effective protection of infants is maternal vaccination with the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis, reduced antigen content) vaccine (effectiveness of about 91% against disease and about 95% against infant death), free of charge in Poland since 15 October 2024.