CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of people received their COVID-19 vaccine at Atrium Health's clinic at Johnson C. Smith University over the weekend.
According to university officials, 6,000 appointments were scheduled for the two-day clinic. Patients received the recently approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine, so a second dose won't be required. The clinic focused on vaccinating teachers and child care workers in Mecklenburg County as part of North Carolina's Group 3 rollout.
Atrium also hosted a mass vaccination clinic at Bank of America Stadium this week, with 14,000 front-line workers getting the first dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.
Vaccine rollout has increased across North Carolina as Gov. Roy Cooper announced some Group 4 appointments will be open starting March 17, one week ahead of schedule. Vaccinations will be available for people with select pre-existing conditions that make them more vulnerable to COVID-19. It will also allow prisoners and people experiencing homelessness to get the shot.
During a primetime speech Thursday, the one-year anniversary of the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic, President Joe Biden set May 1 as a target date to make all Americans eligible for the vaccine. Biden also said he's optimistic Americans may be able to celebrate the Fourth of July in small groups.
Biden said his administration is launching a nationwide website to help people find doses, saying it would address frustrations so that there would be “no more searching day and night for an appointment.”
Have a relative or friend in another state and want to know when they can get vaccinated? Visit NBC News' Plan Your Vaccine site to find out about each state's vaccine rollout plan.