CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- One University of Virginia doctor is calling on city councilors to pressure the city to institute vaccine mandates for its employees.

Dr. Patrick Jackson, an epidemiologist at UVA, says his pager is "blowing up" with patients requesting various treatments for COVID-19.

He says the city needs to do everything it can to encourage vaccines, including a mandate for city employees.

"It is well past the time for city and state governments to really take the steps to make sure that their employees that are interfacing with the public are doing the right thing and getting vaccinated,” Jackson said. "The number of patients that get referred to talk about some of these advanced therapies, like monoclonal antibodies, like Abciximab or Sotrovimab, are unvaccinated.”

These therapies can provide relief, but Jackson explains they're not the most reliable.

"While we have studied them, the science behind those treatments is much less solid. We understand the vaccines very well and we know how great they really are,” Jackson added.

Jackson says the dire situation is only getting worse, partly because vaccination rates are not increasing.

"We'll have an increased risk of transmission of the virus in our community," he said. "And that's going to lead to people getting sick in people who are unvaccinated and vaccinated as well but have compromised immune systems."

On Thursday, Jackson says his pager rang nearly 20 times for patients in need. So he took to Twitter, nearly begging Councilors Heather Hill, Sena Magill, and Michael Payne to take action.
 

"It is important that elected leaders do everything they can to advocate for vaccinations," he said.

When asked about Jackson’s tweet, Hill said the city is working on encouraging vaccinations and doing what it can. 

Right now, there is no mandate. The city is working on a policy that requires employees who aren't vaccinated to get to regular testing