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Whilst I was able to report in 1962 that there was not a single case of diphtheria
in Islington, 1963, unfortunately, did not maintain this clear record, when 6 cases and
7 carriers were finally confirmed The first case was an 8 year old Islington boy
attending Vittoria School, who developed a sore throat and was subsequently admitted to
hospital and found to have diphtheria in a fairly severe form.
The discovery of this case immediately set in motion the very detailed procedure
agreed between the health departments of the County Council and the Borough Councils
for dealing with such events. Household and family contacts were visited and nose and
throat swabs taken and the same procedure applied to school children Family
practiti aiers in Islington and local hospitals were also warned of the occurrence of a
case of diphtheria. Within a few days after the finding of the first case, mainly as a
result of the examination and observations of possible contacts, a further five cases
of diphtheria, all mild or very mild, were admitted to hospital, together with seven
children who were also admitted to hospital as symptomless carriers of the diphtheria
germ. Of the six cases, four were children attending the Vittoria School, one at Charles
Lamb School and the other child attended the Tudor School, Of the seven carriers, six
were Vittoria children and one attended the Charles Lamb School, Children attending the
Tudor and Charles Lamb Schools were followed up on account of family or school contact
with children attending the Vittoria School
In spite of enquiries, it was not possible to trace the source of infection of
the first case, but it most gratifying to record that the very exhaustive tracing of
contacts, bacteriological examinations and isolation in hospital of those found to be
harbouring the germ whether as cases or carriers, together with the immunisation of
those at special risk succeeded in the early limitation of any possible spread.