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The Governor announced over 1,000,000 Excelsior Passes have been downloaded to date which is a remarkable number and I myself belong to that group. I like the pass as it provides a simple digital ID to help if you need proof of vaccination or a negative test which is required by some businesses and\/or venues.\u00a0 Whereas we can debate on end the topic of passes, suffice it to say they are not mandatory which I believe is often forgotten in the discussion.<\/p>\n
Admittedly for me downloading the APP\u00a0 was a very easy process as it has been for many but not for all.\u00a0 As one who administers the vaccines and responsible for the information uploaded into the New York Immunization Information System (NYSIIS), I am very familiar with the process and as well the pitfalls.\u00a0 True to form we will only hear of the pitfalls and let me share some insight on the issue.<\/p>\n
First of all, not many people are familiar with NYSIIS, unless of course you where a parent of a child since 2008, when NYS required all children’s vaccine (18 and under) to be loaded into NYSIIS.\u00a0 This is a good idea as it provided a secure location for providers to review patients vaccination history primarily to make sure children where receiving the CDC required vaccines but also to prevent over vaccination which is a concern not too many talk about.\u00a0 Otherwise if an adult some providers would provide the info and some would not.\u00a0 If they did provide a profile is established and vaccines are uploaded now automatically through secure electronic health records.<\/p>\n
The challenge is how the info was established and this is where it gets tricky.\u00a0 Things like full names are important (think Christopher or Chris), spelling counts (Brendan being spelled Brenda) and accurate DOB matters as well. To complicate it some more during the pandemic providers at times had different instruction. Pharmacies for example, in an effort to upload info as soon as possible, where told to enter First and Last Name, DOB and Phone Number.\u00a0 Well that is great and a profile is either matched or created when that info is sent however when one downloads the APP the questions focus on zip code and county one lives in.\u00a0 In many cases that info does not reside in NYSIIS and if not in NYSIIS one gets the No Record on file message.\u00a0 To correct this it is a back and forth with the one who provided the immunization (we have had a few at the pharmacy) or you can follow the information here<\/a> to either fix the issue or talk to a help desk support person.<\/p>\n If this does not work, there is always the infamous CDC card which serves the purpose.\u00a0 Helpful hint I have been sharing with individuals especially if they cannot access the APP is to take a picture and store the picture on your phone.\u00a0 Please do not share or post on social media as that is sharing of critical information.<\/p>\n