1963 smallpox epidemic in Wrocław

An outbreak of smallpox occurred in the city of Wrocław in Poland in the summer of 1963. The disease was brought to Poland by an officer in the Ministry of Public Security who had returned from India. The epidemic lasted for two months, causing 99 people to fall ill and seven to die. It caused Wrocław to close and quarantine itself.

It was one of the last smallpox outbreaks in Europe (the 1972 Yugoslav smallpox outbreak was last) and the biggest disease outbreak in Europe until the COVID-19 pandemic.

Poland started vaccination against smallpox in 1919 and eradicated it in 1937.

Patient zero
The officer who brought the virus was a lieutenant colonel, Bonifacy Jedynak. He had returned from Delhi, India on 22 May 1963 and became infected by an unknown disease. He went to the hospital of the interior ministry in Wrocław where he was diagnosed with malaria. Meanwhile, smallpox was transmitted to nurse who had mild symptoms and was considered to get chickenpox. Her son, daughter and the attending doctor were infected and died later.

Progress of epidemic


Lonia Kowalczyk was the first person who died because of the infection. On 15 July 1963, an anti-epidemic emergency was announced in the city, 47 days after the first case of the disease. 10,000 vaccines were delivered from the Polish capital Warsaw that day. Around 1 million of vaccines was delivered from Soviet Union and from Hungary. Vaccination was mandatory from 1 August 1963. Non-stop vaccination centre was at Wrocław train station. Vaccination campaign took 2 months.

Initial estimate of WHO was that epidemic will last for two years with 2,000 deaths. Thanks to fast response and availability of vaccination, epidemic was suppressed and it was officially ended on 19 September 1963. 8.5 million of people were vaccinated in total.