New York’s public university systems announced Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccine mandates for students will be dropped by the end of May.

Both SUNY and CUNY issued joint declarations saying students will no longer be required to get the jab once the spring semester ends roughly around May 23, depending on the specific campus.

“The safety of SUNY’s students is our first and foremost priority, and while COVID is no longer an emergency, we will not lose sight of the impact it continues to have on us,” said SUNY Chancellor John King. “Across SUNY we will continue to monitor cases and make adjustments as needed, but even more importantly, we will look to increase the overall health and wellness support we provide our students.”

“We are confident that this is the appropriate time for CUNY to lift the COVID vaccine requirement as a condition of enrollment or employment, though we continue to encourage all students, faculty and staff to stay up to date with vaccinations,” added CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. 

The move comes a day after Biden signed legislation ditching the coronavirus emergency declaration inked by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020. 

But other jurisdictions previously dropped their own requirements – the Big Apple ended the mandate for city workers in February and even before that nixed the rule for private employees. 

The City Council’s bipartisan “Common Sense Caucus” even sent a letter to CUNY last month seeking the end of the rule arguing “it’s past time” kids attending in-person or hybrid classes are given the option not to get the shot.

SUNY operates 64 campuses across the Empire State and CUNY runs 25 campuses throughout the five boroughs.