Good Question: What are the options for getting my vaccine record?

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — If you lose your COVID-19 vaccine card, it’s not the worst problem to have. However, it may take some time to get it fixed.

In recent days, several viewers reached out to News10NBC’s Brennan Somers for help.

First off, the best thing you can do is take a picture or make a copy of your vaccine card as a backup and put the original in a safe spot.
Too late for that?

Here are other options for people who sent Somers Good Questions.

"Can you tell me or find out how we go about getting a replacement Vaccination card? Mine recently was destroyed in the wash. I have tickets for CMAC this summer."

The New York State Department of Health told Somers you can call the state vaccine hotline at 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829). Staff will get you your immunization record from a database.

Somers did that this week to get his immunization record, but here’s the thing, he found out it’s not worth the call if you didn’t get vaccinated at a state site. Go directly to your provider, whether that be another local setup, pharmacy, etc.

In his case, Somers got vaccinated at the Riverside Convention Center in downtown Rochester.

Local health department officials told Somers, “We either assist the person to get an Excelsior Pass or send them a copy of their vaccination record from the state database. Our COVID team can help with that by calling the hotline (585) 753-5555 or emailing
covid19@monroecounty.gov.”

They’ll take your info, then mail or email you a copy of your record.

Of course, there’s also the Excelsior Pass — the state app for proof of vaccination or negative COVID-19 test results on the go.

A viewer asked Somers: For those of us without a smartphone, what is the alternative to the Excelsior Pass? Can we just use the paper record given to us at the time of vaccination?

Yes, the original or a copy works.

If you can get online, you can get your pass that way through a browser by filling out a few questions to verify your identity then you can print it off.

—————————

Watch previous Good Question segments here. If you have a question you’d like answered, email GoodQuestion@whec.com.