The Envoy

Students taking in-person or hybrid courses this spring semester will be required to get a COVID-19 booster shot and submit proof of it, CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez reiterated in a message to the CUNY community this past Tuesday.  

According to the chancellor, students who are eligible for a booster shot on or before Jan. 28, the start date for the spring term, must upload proof of their additional shot to CUNYfirst by March 1. Students who become eligible after Jan. 28 but before the end of the semester will have 30 days upon qualifying to get boosted and submit a record of it.

Students who miss the deadline to upload proof of their booster vaccination, on the other hand, will not be able to register for summer 2022 and fall 2022 classes.

The new guidelines come after New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on the last day of 2021 that all CUNY and SUNY students would be required to get a booster shot if they want to be on campus this spring.

“Governor Hochul announced this policy recently knowing that the booster provides additional protection against the virus and its variants and that vaccines are the best weapon we have to contain the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard our health and that of our community,” said Chancellor Rodríguez. 

“Knowing that I will be able to see so many of you in-person brings me great joy.”

Individuals currently qualify for a booster shot when at least five months have passed since receiving either a second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or at least two months after receiving a single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Students can find appointments for booster shots by visiting the city government website, the state government website, the national government website or the CVS Pharmacy website.

Besides the booster shot mandate, Hochul said that campuses must continue to enforce an indoor mask mandate and random surveillance testing for all students. She also added that students will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test before returning to school, although CUNY has not yet stated that this is a requirement. 

All CUNY students and employees can receive free PCR testing at any CUNY-affiliated testing site, as long as they are registered with the Cleared4 system.