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www.syracuse.com]
SUNY Covid-19 vaccine mandate won’t apply to faculty, staff (report)
Updated May 12, 2021; Posted May 12, 2021
By Kevin Tampone |
ktampone@syracuse.comAlbany, N.Y. — State University of New York campuses won’t require Covid-19 vaccines for faculty and staff in the fall, according to The Buffalo News.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced earlier in the week Covid shots will be required for all SUNY students this fall, but did not mention staff members. A SUNY spokeswoman told the News there are no plans to force SUNY employees to get vaccinated.
“The directive is focused on students. SUNY is developing a plan per the directive announced (Monday),” said Holly Liapis, the SUNY spokeswoman, according to the News.
She did not answer a question about possible exemptions to the requirement, such as for medical reasons, nor did she elaborate when asked why only students were being included for the 64-campus system mandate, the News said.
Cuomo said Monday the vaccine requirement for students will only take effect if the federal government grants full, regular approval to one or more of the Covid shots on the market now. So far, those vaccines are operating through emergency use authorizations, which prevent the state from requiring anyone to get them, Cuomo said.
But federal officials are expected to give regular approval to at least one of the shots soon, well before September, he said.
Mandating shots for SUNY employees would require negotiations with the various unions representing those workers, according to the News. Cuomo can’t order the vaccines for staff the same way he can for students.
SUNY employs over 50,000 people at its 29 campuses. That doesn’t include its community colleges.
The vaccine rule Cuomo announced Monday also applies to City University of New York campuses.
Cuomo is encouraging private college to require vaccines as well. Syracuse University, Le Moyne College and Cornell University all previously announced they will do so.
