Eight members of the D.C. Council are pushing for tighter COVID-19 vaccine requirements for teachers, child care providers, and D.C. government employees in light of the full approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Association on Monday.

In a letter sent this week, Councilmembers Christina Henderson (I-At Large), Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Elissa Silverman (I-At Large), and Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) asked Mayor Muriel Bowser for a full vaccine requirement, with no exemptions other than for religious or medical reasons. The rule currently in effect, which Bowser announced in early August, requires employees to get vaccinated by Sept. 19 or gives them the option to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing.

“We applaud your decision to rollout a vaccine or test mandate earlier this month, but we must now ask that you go further,” the letter reads. “Ensuring all the adults around students and children, especially those who are ineligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, are fully vaccinated against the virus adds another layer of protection for these young people.”

A full COVID-19 vaccine requirement, the letter points out, would be similar to the vaccine mandate in place for health care workers in the District, which specifies that the weekly testing option as an alternative to vaccination would be removed if the FDA granted full authorization to one of the inoculations. A separate vaccine mandate in Attorney General Karl Racine’s office originally offered exemptions to employees who had concerns with the emergency authorization of the vaccines, but that exemption is no longer in effect for the Pfizer vaccine.

The Bowser administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Many local governments and D.C.-area employers, including the federal government, the U.S. military, and Metro have instituted vaccine requirements for employees — many with the weekly testing as an alternative.

The councilmembers’ letter comes as public schools in D.C. prepare to return for full-time in-person instruction on Aug. 30, and as the D.C. region continues to see a surge in COVID-19 cases, mostly among the unvaccinated.

“As we head into the start of the school year, many parents have expressed anxiety at the uncertainty of what lies ahead for in-person learning,” the letter says. “Strong vaccination and masking protocols, in tandem with other safety measures for our public schools and child care facilities, will provide us the best chance to keep children safe and keep our schools open this year.”

About 90% of D.C. Public Schools teachers were vaccinated as of Aug. 10, when the original D.C. vaccine policy was announced, according to the Washington Teachers’ Union. The union is generally supportive of vaccinations and , but president Jacqueline Pogue Lyons said in a statement that the group would not support doing away with the weekly testing requirement.

“I am continuing to urge all WTU members to get vaccinated, particularly now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval,” Lyons said. “That being said, I think the most fair and equitable approach to a mandate is to continue to require either vaccination or weekly testing.”

The current policy, which allows D.C. government workers and educators to opt out of the shots in favor of weekly COVID-19 testing, was the result of extensive negotiations between the city and the labor unions representing workers.

“As the mayor moves forward with requiring vaccination and testing mandates, we appreciate her inviting labor to be a part of the implementation,” said Metro Washington Labor Council AFL-CIO president Dyana Forester in a statement at the time. “Any decision must come in consultation and good-faith bargaining with our government unions.”

The Pfizer vaccine is the first of the three U.S. vaccines to receive full authorization from the FDA. The authorization covers the vaccine’s use for people ages 16 and older; 12-15 year olds are still eligible to receive it on an emergency use basis. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are awaiting full authorization from the FDA, and are also approved for use on an emergency use basis.

This story has been updated with comment from the Washington Teachers’ Union.