Measles in Poland in 2019.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Virology

Background:

• Poland's commitment to the World Health Organization (WHO) measles elimination program since 1998 requires 95% vaccination coverage and robust surveillance.
• Effective measles elimination necessitates continuous monitoring of the epidemiological situation, including case reporting and laboratory diagnostics.
• The Polish Reference Laboratory at the Department of Virology NIPH NIH-NRI plays a crucial role in the national measles surveillance system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the 2019 measles epidemiological situation in Poland.
• To present measles vaccination coverage data for the analyzed period.
• To assess the progress of Poland's measles elimination program.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of case-based questionnaires for suspected measles cases reported to NIPH NIH-NRI.
• Utilization of data from national publications: "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2019" and "Vaccinations in Poland in 2019".
• Epidemiological surveillance data review for measles incidence and vaccination status.

Main Results:

• Poland reported 1,502 measles cases in 2019, a more than fourfold increase from 2018, with an incidence of 3.91 per 100,000 population.
• The highest measles incidence was observed in the 35-39 age group (11.36 per 100,000 population); 51.4% of cases required hospitalization, with no fatalities.
• High vaccination coverage was maintained in children aged 2 and 12 (92.6%–99.5%), indicating successful primary vaccination uptake in younger cohorts.

Conclusions:

• The epidemiological situation of measles in Poland significantly deteriorated in 2019 compared to 2018.
• This negative trend in measles incidence aligns with broader epidemiological patterns observed across Europe.
• Continued efforts are needed to strengthen the measles elimination program despite challenges.