Supply delays push JALC’s vaccine mandate plan to next week

CARTERVILLE, Ill. (WSIL) -- John A. Logan College's vaccine mandate plan was supposed to start Monday, but will now be pushed back to next week.

College President Dr. Kirk Overstreet says it's because some supplies ordered from SHIELD Illinois didn't arrive on Sunday. Overstreet says the plan will now be put into motion beginning Monday, September 27.

Earlier this month, the college announced campus procedures in response to Gov. JB Pritzker's vaccine mandate. The procedures would grant 'Fast Pass' ID's for vaccinated students while unvaccinated students would be required to enter campus through a testing tent and use SHIELD saliva tests.

Overstreet says the college is still missing supplies like test tubes and crates to place the test tubes in. Overstreet says despite the hiccup the college's plan is 'ready to go'.

"Other schools will come in and drop their stuff off. We're going to have an area for them," Overstreet said. "They'll drop off their testing matierials and then SHIELD will pick them up and then they'll actually leave new material here for us."

About 85 K-12 school districts, 22 public and private universities and 27 community colleges are actively using SHIELD saliva tests, says spokesperson Ben Taylor.

Schools who sign up for the tests can choose to be a SHIELD collection site or opt for self-collection. Taylor says JALC opted for self-collection.

"[Supplies are] delivered to your school, company or organization and then you manage the collection process and make sure people are depositing enough saliva in the vials, putting the caps on right and putting them in the racks and bins," Taylor said. "Then you take them to the lab."

Taylor says JALC switched to self-collection on August 30 and takes about two to three weeks to set up. Taylor adds that the group's supplies 'are well backstopped'.

Overstreet says the school is still tracking vaccination numbers and recommending masks in the building. About 1,000 students, staff and faculty have been vaccinated, according to Overstreet. That includes about 85% of faculty and staff and roughly 35% of students.