The article described a major rubella outbreak in Poland between January and April 2013, during which 21,283 cases were reported, predominantly among young men aged 15–29 years. The outbreak was linked to historical vaccination policies that initially targeted only adolescent girls and were later expanded to universal vaccination. As a result, high levels of virus circulation persisted among young adults, substantially increasing the risk of congenital rubella infections and severe birth defects.
This was not a success story, as the outbreak had been anticipated based on immunization program history and surveillance data. With support from WHO experts, we had advocated for catch‑up vaccination of young adults over several years. Unfortunately, this advice was not adopted by policymakers, and the epidemic occurred, likely resulting in numerous infections among women of childbearing age, including during early pregnancy.