NORWICH – Data collected at recent vaccination clinics held at the County Office Building prove that more people were served in the county’s seat than at clinics held over the same time period last year in remote locations.

The Chenango County Public Health Department collected the information from surveys taken at the Norwich clinics from January to March. The surveys are part of a plan that would discontinue periodic immunization clinics in McDonough, New Berlin, Greene, Bainbridge, Afton, South Otselic and Oxford.

“The numbers show that we are pulling people in,” said Nursing Services Director Marianne Kirsch. “There were no complaints when we surveyed people (about having to travel).”

Town supervisors from Afton, Smyrna and New Berlin had previously scrutinized what the county department characterized as an attempt to be more efficient. Instead of ending the service and asking people to travel, they suggested setting patient appointment times and scaling back the number of nurses at the locations.