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Illinois State University Vaccinates 300 People

several people in safety gear at a vaccination clinic
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Illinois State University's Department of Health Sciences workers administered coronavirus vaccines to about 300 faculty and staff on Friday.

Illinois State University's Department of Health Sciences and Health Services workers administered about 300 coronavirus vaccines on Friday, according to a university spokesperson.

They were largely from the 1B eligibility category, faculty over 65, and those who are teaching in-person classes.

ISU spokesperson Eric Jome acknowledged an error also allowed some people not in 1B to sign up for the clinic. Jome said an email went out in error to some faculty who would not otherwise have been eligible for the vaccine this soon.

When the mistake was discovered, Jome said, the university chose to go ahead with vaccinations for those who had reserved spaces, no matter their status. He was not immediately able to say how many people received the vaccine who would not otherwise have received it in this phase of distribution.

Jome said ISU is trying to get the word out that those eligible for the vaccine are ISU employees over 65 and K-12 Lab School faculty.

Earlier vaccination clinics administered by university Health Services focused on health services staff, nursing students, Mennonite College of Nursing faculty, and other ISU workers in medical clinical instruction settings.

Jome said the McLean County Health Department makes the decisions on how much vaccine to allocate to ISU Health Services for distribution. He said it’s still unclear how long it will take to get through the population of people in 1B associated with ISU or the procedures for administering vaccine to people in other eligibility categories.

Editor's note: This story has been changed to clarify that those who are eligible for the vaccine in 1B are ISU employees over 65 and K-12 Lab School faculty.

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WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.