A second booster shot of COVID-19 vaccines has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for those aged 50 and above.

Regulators authorized a second booster dose of Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines Tuesday for the age group, as both the Biden administration and health experts nationwide are bracing for a potential new surge in infections. The potential new surge also comes as immunity to the virus in older and immunocompromised individuals begins to diminish.

Prior to the announcement, immunocompromised people over the age of 12 were allowed further doses. With the new regulation, they can receive a total of five shots, with two additional boosters on top of the initial three-dose series.

“Current evidence suggests some waning of protection over time against serious outcomes from COVID-19 in older and immunocompromised individuals,” FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Dr. Peter Marks said, as reported by CNN.

Marks added, "Based on an analysis of emerging data, a second booster dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine could help increase protection levels for these higher-risk individuals."

According to the New York Times, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will soon release more details and guidance regarding the fourth dose and who should contemplate getting it.

As the Omicron subvariant known as BA.2 is raging throughout Europe, many health experts in the nation fear that the U.S. could potentially suffer the same fate. World Health Organization spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris said earlier this month that the pandemic is “far from over" as COVID cases are surging once again.

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