More than 50 major medical organizations on Monday called for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations of U.S. health care workers. 

The joint statement was issued by 56 groups representing doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health care employees. The organizations include the American Medical Association, American Nursing Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and American Public Health Association.

The statement asserted that getting vaccinated “is the logical fulfillment of the ethical commitment of all health care workers to put patients as well as residents of long-term care facilities first.”

“As we move towards full FDA approval of the currently available vaccines, all health care workers should get vaccinated for their own health, and to protect their colleagues, families, residents of long-term care facilities and patients,” the statement says. “This is especially necessary to protect those who are vulnerable, including unvaccinated children and the immunocompromised.”

The urgent call comes as coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise again, predominantly among the unvaccinated. Fueled by the more contagious delta variant, the seven-day average for new COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as of Friday had climbed to 47,455 — four times higher than it was a month earlier. Meanwhile, just 49% of Americans are fully vaccinated, and 30 states have immunized less than half their populations.

As of the end of May, one in four hospital workers who have direct contact with patients had not received a single vaccine dose, according a WebMD and Medscape Medical News analysis of data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Less than 9% of hospitals require their employees to get vaccinated, according to the American Hospital Association.

Houston Methodist in Texas made headlines last month when more than 150 employees were either fired or resigned after not complying with the hospital’s vaccine mandate. A federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a nurse, ruling, “Methodist is trying to do their business of saving lives without giving them the COVID-19 virus.”

The groups behind Monday’s statement said exemptions should be allowed for people with certain medical issues, but that they would  “constitute a small minority of all workers.” And saying they recognize “the historical mistrust of health care institutions,” they added that workers’ concerns about COVID-19 vaccines must be addressed by connecting them with trusted messengers.

The medical groups said that they hope vaccine mandates in their industry will set an example for other employers across the nation. 

“The health and safety of U.S. workers, families, communities, and the nation depends on it,” the statement said.