University of Massachusetts Amherst will require all eligible faculty and staff members to get a coronavirus vaccine booster, as other Bay State colleges consider a booster mandate ahead of the spring semester.

The state’s flagship campus had recently announced that all students will be required to get a COVID vaccine booster. Then on Wednesday, UMass Amherst officials said the booster requirement will also be for all eligible faculty and staff.

“With the expected continued emergence of new COVID-19 variants, full vaccination, including boosters, is the most effective protection against COVID-19,” university officials wrote to faculty and staff.

Booster eligibility starts six months after a person’s second Pfizer or Moderna shot, or two months after a single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. Individuals who were previously granted exemptions from vaccinations for medical or religious reasons will continue to be required to test twice weekly during the spring semester.

“Employees are eligible to receive release time to get their booster shot and are also entitled to time off due to any vaccination side effects,” the officials said.

Elsewhere in the state, Boston College plans to require boosters for all students, faculty and staff, according to a BC spokesperson.

“We required vaccinations for those coming to campus this semester and achieved a vaccination rate of 99.3%, which was very helpful in limiting cases of COVID on campus this fall,” the BC spokesperson added.

Boston University has a vaccine mandate in place, but the university has not yet mandated boosters, according to a BU spokesperson.

Northeastern University in a recent letter to the school community encouraged everyone who is eligible to receive a booster shot.

“While booster shots are not mandatory for on-campus students, faculty, or staff, we strongly encourage you to consider receiving the booster if you are eligible,” reads the Northeastern letter. “Data shows that the vaccines’ effectiveness can wane over time, especially for older and immunocompromised individuals.”

Harvard also “strongly encourages” boosters for everyone who is eligible.

Harvard officials wrote to the community, “If you are eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine booster and haven’t yet received it, please make a booster appointment as soon as possible.”