University President Tania Tetlow, J.D., announced changes to Fordham’s COVID-19 policies in an email sent to the university community on March 20. These changes include the university no longer requiring people to be vaccinated against the virus in order to gain entry onto campus, effective May 15, the last day of final exams for the spring 2023 semester.

University Health Services will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and testing to students. Tetlow advised university employees to see their personal health care providers for these services. 

Fordham will also discontinue the use of VitalCheck, an app that tracks vaccination statuses and COVID-19 cases. Members of the Fordham community will no longer receive daily emails from the app with a questionnaire about their health status. 

According to the announcement, these decisions derive from the federal government’s announcement that the COVID-19 emergency declaration, which has been in place in the United States since March 13, 2020, will end on May 11. The national emergency had originally been scheduled to end on March 1, and the public health emergency had been scheduled to end on April 11. Tetlow explained that recent data collected by the university have informed these decisions alongside “broad consultation with our community.” 

In the email, the president noted that the developments within the pandemic suggest that receiving vaccinations and testing for the virus are now a matter of individual responsibility.

“What was once a critical way to protect the most vulnerable in our community has become more of an individual choice about safety, one we urge you to take seriously,” she said.

Alongside announcing these policy changes, Tetlow also advised the community to be mindful of those who are vulnerable to the virus by staying home after testing positive for COVID-19. She noted that people should continue to use the general health knowledge and practices gained, such as wearing a mask when sick to avoid the spread of germs.

“While many of us have learned to live with the risk of COVID, it is critical that we remember the most vulnerable—to care enormously about those who beat cancer (or face other risks) and now live in fear of being felled by a virus,” the president said.

All other classroom and campus protocols will remain the same after the policy is in effect on May 15. The university also plans on reviewing all of the university’s COVID-19 policies and will announce any further changes before the start of the fall semester.