Photos and story by Daniel Hernandez

Riverside City College is one step closer to ending the chapter of distance education and returning to campus for in-person instruction.

Trained RCC nurses, with the help from Albertsons pharmacists, administered first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine to members of the community on the roof of the Parking Structure April 22.

RCC’s Parking Structure was divided into three sections: A check-in area located near the entrance, the vaccination tables directly behind and a socially distanced observation area for people who received the vaccine.

 Nursing students sitting at the vaccination tables were equipped with red Stericycle medical waste disposal canisters, rubber gloves and other medical tools needed to safely administer the vaccines.

Individuals who signed up online before arriving were able to present the necessary documents at the front table and receive the vaccine in less than 10 minutes.

According to Beiwei Tu, director of Risk Management at the Riverside Community College District, 1,367 Pfizer vaccines were administered at RCC, 408 at Norco College and 270 at Moreno Valley College in one week.

“We have more vaccines available than people who sign up,” Tu Said. “The more people who sign up, the better we can protect the community.” 

To make an appointment, visit www.rivcoph.org/coronavirus.