Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is expected to release a statement signing off on the additional shot shortly.

The FDA has already authorized a fourth shot for immunocompromised individuals.

Tuesday’s decision bypasses the independent panel of experts from both the FDA and the CDC, which have issued recommendations to the agencies throughout the pandemic on whether they should clear additional shots, and if so, for which groups.

The share of people who’ve received their first booster remains low in the United States, with fewer than 50 percent of those who are eligible for a booster having received one, according to data from the CDC.