Kansas City is waiting for the updated COVID vaccine, but new cases are already climbing

An updated COVID-19 vaccine will be in Kansas City in the next few weeks. The shot combats newer variants more effectively and comes as case numbers creep up across the metro.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, but people across the Kansas City metro are in limbo as they await shipments set to arrive in the next few weeks.

The new shot is designed to protect against a strain of the omicron variant known as XBB. Although the EG.5 variant recently overtook XBB as the dominant strain in the Kansas City region, the new shot is expected to still provide good protection against severe disease and hospitalization.

Pharmacies like CVS initially opened appointments to get a COVID-19 vaccine as early as Tuesday this week, but now, appointments are not available. Public health departments across the metro say they are expecting a shipment in the coming week or are awaiting further information.

The new vaccine's approval also means the bivalent boosters are no longer authorized.