St. John’s University will require all students to be
vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning in fall
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | MAY 7-MAY 13, 2021 35
“Our College of Pharmacy
students are certified
to administer the
vaccine and are doing so
for their fellow students,”
Browne said.
Browne added that
the vaccines from the
state Department of
Health came on the condition
that they be distributed
to students first,
with any remaining
doses made available to
employees.
The vaccine requirement
is limited to students,
but the university
is also encouraging employees
to get vaccinated,
according to Browne.
St. John’s joins Columbia
University, Cornell
University and hundreds
of colleges across
the country that will
require students to be
fully vaccinated prior
to attending in-person
classes in the fall.
In New York, COVID-
19 vaccines are available
to everyone who is 16 and
older. Individuals can get
a vaccine without an appointment
at select New
York City-run sites. For
more information on vaccine
eligibility, where to
find vaccine locations or
appointments, visitwww.
nyc.gov/VaccineFinder
or call 877-VAX-4NYC
(877-829-4692).
BY ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
St. John’s University
will require all students
to be vaccinated before
arriving on campus for
in-person classes this
fall. Now that the COVID-
19 vaccine is available
to anyone 16 and over
nationwide, the Catholic
university will require
all students to be vaccinated
and to provide
proof of vaccination before
returning to campus
for the fall 2021 semester.
Students enrolled in fully
online degree programs
won’t need to provide
proof of vaccination.
In a university-wide
message on April 21
announcing the requirement,
university
President Rev. Brian J.
Shanley encouraged students
to get their COVID-
19 shots at their “earliest
convenience.”
“The ongoing risk
of serious health consequences
for anyone who
contracts COVID-19,
along with the greater
public health threat, are
but two strong reasons
in favor of getting vaccinated,”
Rev. Shanley
said. “The well-being
and safety of you — our
students, faculty, administrators
and staff — is
always the highest priority
of St. John’s and is my
foremost daily prayer for
you all.”
Rev. Shanley noted
there will also be exemptions
from the COVID-19
vaccine requirement for
students with proof of
a documented medical
condition or due to religious
beliefs.
The university will
accept any vaccine authorized
for use in the
U.S., which currently
includes Pfizer, Moderna
and Johnson & Johnson.
Students who have already
received two doses
of Pfizer and Moderna or
a single dose of Johnson
& Johnson already meet
the requirement.
The university is reviewing
guidelines for
international students
who have received other
vaccines, such as the AstraZeneca
vaccine, and
will provide those students
with guidance at a
later date.
St. John’s University,
which has its main campus
located in Jamaica,
also received Pfizer vaccine
doses from the New
York State Department
of Health.
On April 27, they began
distributing those
doses to students free of
charge at their Queens
campus, with students
in their Manhattan and
Staten Island campuses
also eligible for the
vaccine.
When asked if the
university may become
a vaccine site for the
general public, University
Spokesperson Brian
Browne said that while
the university was approved
to be a potential
vaccine site months ago,
this is the first batch of
vaccines it has received.
A St. John’s University student received the COVID-19
vaccine. Photo courtesy of St. John’s University
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