Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday, May 5 during his press conference that it will now be a requirement for all SUNY and CUNY students to be vaccinated before stepping foot on campus. This includes SUNY Poly, MVCC, Herkimer College, among others.

Let’s make a global statement: you cannot go back to school in September unless you have the vaccine.

This announcement comes as Cuomo presented data regarding vaccines, saying about 60% of adults 18 and older in New York have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and only 24.7% of people ages 16 to 25 have been fully vaccinated. It's fewest among any eligible age group.

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The governor also said he is encouraging private colleges to follow suit - however, many private colleges in Central New York such as Syracuse, Lemoyne, and Cornell, have already made it mandatory. However, those universities made exceptions for people with medical or religious exemptions.

We'll update this story as we get more information.


Have you or a loved one across New York State received a positive test for COVID-19 during the pandemic? You could take part in a research study and get paid $800 and up.

AcurianHealth is currently looking for those who have tested positive, or those who have not received test results or even been tested yet, but have coronavirus symptoms. It's all for research study purposes.

Those who qualify may receive payment up to $800, which varies by study. Want to see if you qualify? Find out how you can participate here. 

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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