You are reading

New York City Mandates Vaccinations for Public School Teachers, Principals and Staff

(Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office)

Aug. 23, 2021 By Christian Murray

All New York City public school employees will be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 in accordance with a new mandate announced by Mayor Bill de Blasio Monday morning.

The policy will affect all 148,000 Dept. of Education employees, including school principals, teachers and custodians. It will also apply to school safety officers and food providers.

Under the mandate, all staff will be required to show proof that they have had a least one dose of the vaccine by Sept. 27.

The announcement comes as the highly contagious Delta variant becomes more prevalent and just weeks before approximately 1 million New York City public school students return to class.

The mayor is adamant that there will be no remote learning in the upcoming year that starts Sept. 13.

“We know this is going to help ensure that everyone is safe,” de Blasio said during a news conference Monday. “We want our schools to be extraordinarily safe all year long.”

To date, about 63 percent of Dept. of Education employees have had at least one dose of the vaccine, according to city officials.

The policy follows the mayor’s announcement on Friday that public school athletes involved in high-risk sports like basketball and football must be vaccinated by the start of their season.

“Our schools must be safe spaces for our students,” said Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter, who spoke during the press conference Monday. The vaccine mandate, she added, provides “another layer of protection for our kids.”

The city has yet to disclose what the penalty will be for employees who don’t comply, or whether there will be exemptions.

The announcement comes on the same day that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine.

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Queens Distance Runners mark 10 years with milestone marathon at Flushing Meadows

Apr. 24, 2025 By Paulina Albarracin

Runners filled the paths of Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on March 30 for the Queens Marathon, joined by the QDR Half Marathon and 10K events. Since its inception, the Queens Marathon has done more than test endurance—it has celebrated the borough’s diverse communities and encouraged participants to support local businesses and organizations. This year marked a special milestone as the flagship event of Queens Distance Runners (QDR) celebrated its 10th anniversary, reaffirming its place as Queens’ premier race experience and igniting excitement across the scenic park grounds.

“We don’t know who we can trust”: Advocates push for New York For All Act to shield immigrants from ICE enforcement

Apr. 24, 2025 By Jimmy Robles

As deportations keep growing in the communities of New York, the fight to protect the immigrant community from immigration enforcement agencies such as ICE is urging. Even residents with no criminal history or legal status in the United States have become at risk of deportation, causing them to live with constant fear of being separated from their families.