Good Question: Excelsior pass and vaccine doses

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WHEC) — Let’s talk once again about the COVID passport for New Yorkers, the Excelsior Pass.

In a story last week, I took you through the steps of how to get your updated vaccination records on the digital pass. Every time you get a shot, either the first vaccine series or boosters, you have to create a new pass.

Soon after, I got some follow-up emails from a couple of viewers. Christine is one:

“We watched your piece on the Excelsior Pass Plus and it was well done. But we do have two questions. Can you add a second booster to this pass? And if you received the first or second booster out of state (we are winter snow birds) can you add it to the pass?”

About that 2nd booster, Excelsior Pass Plus will list your booster including your 3rd or 4th shots. You just have to fill out all your info again to get a new one, 3 to 4 days after getting the shot.

Now to address people who got shots out of state like snowbirds. Here’s how you do that. The New York State Health Department says:

"For New York State residents who were fully vaccinated outside of New York State, New Jersey or Vermont, your New York healthcare provider must input your vaccination information into the secure New York State and/or New York City immunization databases, and that provider must be administering the COVID-19 vaccine. Please note that when you attempt to retrieve your Excelsior Vaccination Pass Plus from the Excelsior Pass Web Portal, you will need to enter the county where your New York healthcare provider is located, NOT the county where you received your COVID-19 vaccine."

Also very important — when you’re putting in your info to get the Excelsior Pass Plus, you have to mark the county where your doctor’s office is, not where you actually got the vaccine.

I know that’s a lot to follow and this set up isn’t nearly as simple as people would like, but that’s the step-by-step process so your first vaccine series and boosters show up on the pass.

If you have more issues with getting the updated pass, reach out to the state here.