CARBONDALE – The State of Illinois is deploying a team of community vaccinators to Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIU-C) to help the education system meet the vaccine mandate for higher education. The State is also reaching out to community colleges and other higher education institutions across Illinois to make similar vaccination programs available on their campuses.
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“Vaccination remains the most important tool we have to keep people safe and out of the hospital, and I’m committed to making the free COVID-19 vaccine as accessible as possible,”said Governor JB Pritzker.“My administration is working with the entire Illinois higher education landscape to ensure they have the tools they need to support a healthy campus. I want to thank SIU-C for their leadership in supporting the Carbondale community and bringing this pandemic to an end.”
“We greatly appreciate Gov. Pritzker’s leadership during these tough times and are grateful for the support from the governor’s office and Illinois Department of Public Health,” said SIU Carbondale Chancellor Austin Lane. “Vaccinations are proven to be the best strategy for individuals to protect themselves and others. We have strongly promoted them since March and welcome the opportunity to set up a clinic to help our faculty, staff, and students comply with the governor’s vaccination mandate.”
The State will deploy rapid response vaccination teams starting Thursday, September 2. Vaccination clinics will be established at the SIU Student Center and will offer the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, now called Comirnaty. No appointment is necessary for vaccinations on the following days:
Thursday, September 2 | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Friday, September 3 | 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. |
Tuesday, September 7 | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
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Wednesday, September 8 | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Thursday, September 9 | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Friday, September 10 | 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. |
Last week, Governor JB Pritzker and IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike announced vaccination requirements for individuals in high-risk settings, including healthcare workers, nursing home employees, all pre-k through 12 teachers and staff, and higher education personnel and students.
Workers and students in applicable settings must receive the first dose of a two-dose vaccination series or a single-dose vaccination by September 5, 2021. Second doses of the vaccine must be received by 30 days after the first dose.
Workers who are not fully vaccinated or who opt out for medical or religious reasons must follow a routine testing schedule to detect cases early and prevent further spread. Testing will be required a minimum of once per week in schools and healthcare facilities. The frequency of testing may be required to increase in the event of positive cases.
Healthcare, school workers, and higher education personnel, and students attending in-person classes who do not provide proof of vaccination will be prevented from entering healthcare and educational facilities unless they follow the required testing protocol.
All Illinois residents over the age of 12 are eligible to receive the Comirnaty (Pfizer-BioNTech) COVID-19 vaccine at no cost and proof of immigration status is not required to receive the vaccine. To find a vaccination center near you, go to vaccines.gov.
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