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Green. We also work in the closest harmony with general practitioners.
I have made it a practice to keep general practitioners
informed of the latest developments in this field. I
also try to ensure that we are also working along the same
lines. I am very happy to say that these efforts appear to be
successful."
One or two other points regarding infectious diseases might
be mentioned.
For the twelfth year in succession no case of diphtheria was
notified in the Borough. The last death took place approximately
20 years ago. We must not, however,allow ourselves to be lulled
into any sense of false security by such a happy statement. Only
this year, a number of cases of diphtheria occurred in a Borough
not many miles from Wood Green. This limited outbreak was particularly
interesting from two aspects. In the first place, it was
found that those few children who had been immunised and who still
developed diphtheria, developed the disease in a mild form,
recovered quickly and with no ill-effects. On the other hand,
the single death which occurred took place in a child who had
not been immunised at any time. In other words, the value of
immunisation was strengthened since although only a few cases
were involved, it was clearly shown that the few children who
developed diphtheria after immunisation came to no harm, but
merely suffered a comparatively minor illness.
The second lesson to be learnt from this outbreak of diphtheria
- and it was not the only outbreak of diphtheria which
occurred in England and Wales during 1959 - points to the fact
that the organism which causes diphtheria still exists and is
quite able to strike. In short although it may be true to state
that many recently qualified general practitioners have never seen
a case of diphtheria, our campaign of immunisation must be continued
relentlessly. The fact that approximately 88% of Wood
Green children up to the age of two years were protected against
diphtheria by immunisation at the end of 1959 is highly encouraging
though it still leaves much to be desired in a community such
as this.
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