At the start of April, the group of Illinois residents with the highest coronavirus case count were those in their 20s. Over the past month, cases among those ages 18-24 have doubled, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

It’s with that in mind that the health department is launching “College Vaccination Days” — appointments set aside this weekend and next week at mass vaccination sites for college students.

“Our young adults have a key role to play in bringing this pandemic to an end,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “Getting vaccinated is about protecting yourself, but it’s also about protecting your professors, your parents, your peers, campus staff, and the greater community you call home.”

Colleges and universities will have specific links where students can register for an appointment, according to the health department. Those appointments will be available Saturday through Tuesday at sites throughout Adams, Kane, Madison, Sangamon, St. Clair, Winnebago, Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Lake and Will counties.

Champaign County — home of the University of Illinois, the largest college in the state — was not on the list because there is no state-supported mass vaccination site near the school, health officials said.

Vaccination sites in DeKalb, McDonough and McLean counties are already providing vaccinations to students as part of the state’s rapid response vaccination teams deployed to areas seeing increasing cases.