WSOC-TV and community partners come together in race to vaccinate

A community collaboration between WSOC-TV, Telemundo Charlotte, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Charlotte Fire Department and Northside Baptist Church worked together to help vaccinate more than 1,100 people.

The partnering organizations signed up residents for a COVID-19 vaccination event that Mecklenburg County facilitated on Saturday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Camp North End, 1803 N Graham Street, Charlotte, NC 28206.

“We’re all trying to decrease COVID spread in our community. We’re all trying to get people vaccinated, and we’re all working together and I think that’s what COVID response has been all about,” said Meg Sullivan, Mecklenburg County Health Department’s medical director.

The clinic served walk-ins as well as those with appointments in an effort to narrow the gap between those that do and those that don’t have high-speed internet to register for those coveted appointments that get snapped up so quickly.

Members of Northside Baptist Church and CMPD also knocked on doors in the Hidden Valley neighborhood to help those residents register leading up to the clinic.

“Having an event here,it kind of relaxes things a little bit to help people feel good about being vaccinated, so they know while we still have to wear our masks, we are one step closer to getting out of this situation,” said Tyler Means, preparedness coordinator for the county health department.

All COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19 by creating an antibody response without sickness. Getting vaccinated may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Pfizer doses were administered at this weekend’s clinic.

Second doses will be administered at the same location and time frame on May 8.

Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) announced free rides on all CATS transit services on Saturday, April 17. In coordination with Mecklenburg County Public Health, this day of fare-free transit will provide the Charlotte community with greater access to Saturday’s mass vaccination event at Camp North End.

From the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC) in Uptown, riders were able utilize the Route 22-Graham Street to access the Camp North End vaccination site.

CATS also provided Express bus service directly to Camp North End. Route 77X-North Mecklenburg Express ran every hour between 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. and served four park and rides including Davidson-Gateway, Cornelius, Huntersville-Northcross and Huntersville-Gateway.

For information about CATS COVID-19 health-safety measures, visit RideTransit.org.

Transportation is available through Northside Baptist Church and Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for residents in the Hidden Valley community. Click here if you are a resident of Hidden Valley and require transportation to the vaccination clinic Saturday at Camp North End.

If you have any questions, email MeckCVMS@mecknc.gov or call 980-314-9400 option 3 (English) or option 8 (Spanish).

Poll: More North Carolinians willing to get COVID-19 vaccine

Cox Media Group