Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

An illustration of a COVID-19 vaccination card in the background with a half-full syringe on the left in the foreground and a bottle reading “COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER” on the right.

NYU to drop COVID-19 vaccine requirement

The university announced that, starting May 11, it will end its vaccination requirements for students and visitors.
Carmo Moniz, News Editor April 5, 2023

NYU will end its campuswide COVID-19 vaccine mandate starting May 11, according to an update from Carlo Ciotoli, the vice president for campus health. The decision follows that...

NYU's COVID-19 positivity rates have increased sharply in recent weeks, but have remained lower than the rates in New York City as a whole.

NYU COVID positivity rate more than 20x pre-omicron average

The most recent data shows an 18.29% positivity rate in COVID tests at NYU.
Alex Tey and Arnav Binaykia January 10, 2022

COVID-19 positivity rates at NYU are up drastically, with 18.29% of tests conducted between Dec. 27 and Jan. 2 coming back positive. This latest data marks a 22-fold increase from...

In early November, New York City’s COVID-19 positive test rate was 2.06% while NYU’s was 0.76%. A decrease in hospitalizations and deaths accompany the increase in the positive test rate. (Staff Photo by Ryan Walker)

NYU sees slight rise in COVID cases as winter approaches

In the week leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, an increase in New York City’s new reported COVID-19 cases has some students concerned about breakthrough infections.
Gabriel Hawthorne, Staff Writer November 22, 2021

NYU reported a slim increase in the number of COVID-19 cases on campus as positivity rates increased in New York City over the past four weeks.  In the most recent testing...

A study at NYU Langone found that vaccinated pregnant women can pass COVID-19 antibodies to their babies. Researchers hope the study will reduce vaccine hesitancy in pregnant people. (Staff Photo and Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Vaccinated pregnant people pass COVID antibodies to their babies, Langone study finds

NYU researchers hope that the study results will diminish vaccine hesitancy among pregnant people.
Lauren Ashe, Staff Writer November 5, 2021

Jenna Silverstein got the COVID-19 vaccine and a booster shot while she was pregnant — one of the 35% of pregnant people aged 18-49 to receive a vaccine. Because Silverstein, an...

On Nov. 1 at NYU, U.S. Chief Medical Advisor Anthony Fauci and bioethicist Christine Grady discussed ethical challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. The conversation, which was moderated by CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta, featured a conversation about vaccine hesitancy. (Image via NYU lecture)

Fauci talks ethics, misinformation and COVID-19 at NYU lecture

Anthony Fauci, the U.S. chief medical advisor, spoke at an NYU event about public health and ethics issues that have arisen during the pandemic. He was joined by bioethicist Christine Grady and CNN correspondent Sanjay Gupta.
Agne Tolockaite, Contributing Writer November 4, 2021

U.S. chief medical advisor Anthony Fauci discussed ethical challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic at an NYU lecture on Nov. 1. The topics covered included tensions between...

New York state RNC director Katie Bloodgood spoke about Republican students’ experience at NYU, a university with a generally liberal community. During the Oct. 13 event, she addressed controversial questions and said that Republicans are frequently misunderstood. (Photo by Anna Letson, Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

College Republicans talk being conservative at NYU with state GOP director

New York state GOP director Katie Bloodgood answered a wide range of questions from NYU’s College Republicans during a virtual event on Oct. 13.
Kristian Burt, Staff Writer October 19, 2021

At a meeting with NYU’s College Republicans, Katie Bloodgood, the New York state director of the Republican National Committee, said she empathizes with GOP supporters at NYU. “My...

On Oct. 4, the CDC recommended a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech for those who received their second dose at least six months ago. This left members of the NYU community wondering who is eligible to get their third shot. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Explained: COVID-19 booster shots, and who can get one

The CDC’s recent booster shot recommendation left members of the NYU community wondering who is eligible to receive an extra dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Kristian Burt, Staff Writer October 14, 2021

Editor’s note: This article was published in October 2021. Guidelines and requirements from NYU and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may have since changed. On...

The New York Pfizer office located in midtown. As international students prepare to come back to the city, concerns arise about potential mixing and matching of COVID-19 vaccinations. (Staff Photo by Roshni Raj)

International students may be required to ‘mix’ COVID-19 vaccines, despite NYU assurances

Some international students remain hesitant to be re-vaccinated, while others see it as their only path to an in-person education and a post-pandemic college experience.
Roshni Raj, Abroad News Editor August 5, 2021

Liberal Studies sophomore Etel Simkina — an international student from Russia — received her first dose of the Sputnik V vaccine in April, before NYU released its vaccine directive....

A Pfizer vaccine information label details its contents. International students face difficulties in regions without NYU-approved vaccines. (Staff Photo by Roshni Raj)

Facing conflicting guidance, international students struggle with NYU COVID-19 vaccine requirements

For some international students, the only vaccine available is not NYU-approved, while others live in regions with limited access to any COVID-19 vaccine.
Roshni Raj, Abroad News Editor July 19, 2021

All NYU community members — in New York or at any of the university’s 15 global sites — are required to be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the World...

All adults in the US are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, and in some states, all residents 16 and older are eligible for the vaccine. However, even as vaccination rates continue to increase, some students feel unsure about the safety of returning to pre-pandemic activities. (Staff Photo by Roshni Raj)

Even after vaccination, some students’ concerns about COVID-19 remain

As vaccination rates throughout the state continue to increase, some students feel unsure about the safety of the city and resuming their pre-pandemic activities.
Natalie Melendez, Staff Writer May 4, 2021

Over a year after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, the end to the nightmare seems near. April 19 marked the day adults 18 and older in the United States...

Signs directing students towards an NYU vaccine clinic decorate the front of Bobst Library. NYU students picked for the vaccine lottery gladly collect their doses.  (Staff Photo by Alexandra Chan)

Students vaccinated by NYU report positive, trouble-free experience

Although appointments to receive the COVID-19 vaccine through the university remain scarce, students who did manage to secure an appointment say the vaccination process was straightforward.
Rachel Fadem, Staff Writer April 28, 2021

NYU has received approximately 1,200 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine each week for the past three weeks, according to University Spokesperson John Beckman and Executive Lead of the...

NYU's policy of filling out the Daily Screener to get access to NYU buildings has flaws when it comes to post-vaccination symptoms. Post-vaccination symptoms can cause people to feel ill, unrelated to the COVID-19 symptoms, so there is hesitation in responding honestly to the Daily Screener in fear of an unnecessary quarantine. (Staff Photo by Ryan Walker)

You could be quarantined in your dorm for reporting your vaccine side effects

With no apparent university policy on post-vaccination symptoms, responding honestly to the Daily Screener could get you quarantined.
Alex Tey, Copy Chief April 27, 2021

I don't socialize indoors, I wear one mask outside and two inside, and the riskiest thing I do is ride the subway about twice a week, an activity that is safer than eating inside...