PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The FDA approved a second bivalent COVID-19 booster for senior citizens on Tuesday.

Additionally, the FDA is allowing those who are immunocompromised to receive the new booster.

The effectiveness of a COVID booster goes down after several months according to scientists. Seniors can get the second omicron booster if it’s been four months since their first one — those with weakened immune systems only need to wait two months.

There are a few more regulatory groups that have to okay the new booster, but those shots are expected to be available starting next week, local health leaders say.

Even for those over who haven’t received a COVID vaccine, there will now be a much simpler process to get protected.

For people that have held off getting the first shot, the government is now simplifying the process, saying that the series of shots is no longer needed and that people can just get the single bivalent shot. The hope is that the move will encourage more people to get the vaccine.

There are still hundreds of people in the U.S. dying daily from COVID, and more than three-quarters of people have not gotten a booster shot.

COVID shots remain free to the public.