If all goes to plan, some adults will be allowed to receive a second booster shot for the latest variant of the COVID-19 virus.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) plans to authorize the additional shot for select citizens. This second round is geared toward the omicron variant of the virus, according to NPR.

An unnamed federal official said these shots would be limited to two select groups, immuno-compromised individuals who received the first dose of the vaccine at least two months ago and those ages 65 and up who received their initial dose at least four months ago.

Medical professionals said the main concern warranting a move like this is that immunity provided by the initial vaccine and booster might fade with time, opening up the potential for serious illness.

Dr. Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, told NPR that administering the available vaccines would be best rather than letting them go to waste.

“Historically, when you look at the monovalent vaccines, the protection starts to wane after four or five months. We don’t know if that’s the case with bivalent boosters, but you don’t want to find out the hard way,” Hotez said, according to NPR. “Those doses are going to be expiring and will be thrown out. So it makes sense to have those shots in arms instead of being tossed in the waste basket.”

Hotez added that he supports lowering the cutoff age from 65 to 55 and younger unless data indicates otherwise.

Some experts postulated that natural immunity from the virus gained through exposure and subsequent infection is just as viable against the virus as the immunity provided by vaccination, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

Other medical providers have argued against the idea that the current vaccine is losing its luster, noting the lack of data indicating lowered efficacy of the first shot or heightened effectivity of another.

“I have no data to show me that a second bivalent is safe and effective. I have every reason to think it might be. But I don’t actually have data,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, according to NPR.

The FDA has not made an official announcement about the availability of the second dose, but it is expected to in the coming weeks.