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April 29, 2021
News
NEWS BRIEFS Summer 2021 Enrollment Students can now apply for classes for the summer 2021 term through MyPortal. Incoming students will need to create an account at openccc.net and can reach out to OpenCCC Technical Support if there are any difficulties. Veterans Banquet A virtual end-of-the year banquet hosted by Riverside City College’s Veterans Center will take place on May 20 at 6 p.m. First Sgt. Matt Eversmann will be a featured guest speaker at the event. Those interested in attending must register beforehand. Contact the RCC Veterans Center for more information. Safe Driving Saves Lives California residents ages 14-22 can enter the #WorkZoneSocialChallenge to promote safe driving and have the chance to prizes. Interested participants can enter by sharing a #SafeDrivingSavesLives video message for the chance to win a Macbook pro, $600 gift card and $100 gift card. For any questions about the rules or guidelines residents can visit workzonechallenge. com. Library Workshops The RCC library is continuing to hold weekly one-hour workshops throughout the rest of the spring term. Information available at these workshops includes ways of accessing the library’s databases, research tecnhinques and citing digital sources. These workshops take p l a c e e v e r y We d n e s d a y starting at 1p.m. Any students interested can joining via the zoom link. To find the link, visit library.rcc.edu and click on Library Workshops. Subscribe to our newsletter on viewpointsonline.org to receive a compliation of stories curated by our editors right in your inbox every Sunday morning. If you have any tips for potential news stories or would like to share your story with us please email us at: viewpoints.news@gmail.com.
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY
Research says coronavirus vaccine safe District administators encourage students to get the shot BY DANIELA RAMIREZ STAFF REPORTER
The latest study on COVID-19 vaccinations by the Pew Research Center found that up to 69% of Americans have received or plan to receive the shot. Federal health officials say the aim is to vaccinate 75-80% of the population, but only 43% have gotten at least one dose. Where are the other 57% of people at with their decision? Conspiracies have created doubts in many. Some argue the shot was developed too quickly to be safe to use. Others are worried about side effects, ingredients and the real reason the government is pushing the vaccine. But with plans to reopen the Riverside Community College District in the fall, the administration is encouraging all students and employees to get vaccinated in order to ensure the safest environment possible next semester. Wolde-Ab Isaac, district chancellor, addressed vaccine hesitancy during a town hall
with students and employees April 21. Isaac’s background is in medicinal chemistry and he evaluated medications for over 10 years as a senior clinical researcher. “There is no medicine, no drug, that doesn’t have adverse effects,” he said. “Now, when we look at these vaccines, not only are they effective at 95% ... these are very very safe medications. The risk is far greater if you don’t take the vaccination.” Isaac added that COVID-19 vaccines reaching up to 95% effectiveness is rare for vaccinations. He explained that even the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, which was discontinued in many areas due to some women experiencing blood clots after taking the shot, has not been deemed unsafe. Only six women were found to have blood clots after over 6.8 million people received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. According to a Healthline article, there are many factors that contributed to the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The money and resources for COVID-19 research and treatments pushed the development to having a shorter time frame to produce results, Lynlee Burton, head of the Center for Vaccines and Emerging Infectious Diseases at PRA Health Sciences, said in the article. The key to making the COVID-19 shot effective for safe use is the mRNA molecule. The mRNA, or messenger RNA, is the molecule that goes back into DNA to create the protein that triggers an immune response to a disease. Unlike some vaccines, in an mRNA vaccine, the messenger does not introduce a weakened germ into the body. Research on mRNA is not new to science. The use of mRNA has helped fight diseases and has been developing for decades, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Others argue the vaccine can possibly result in death. The Food and Drug Administration requires all vaccination providers to report any deaths after taking the vaccine, but that does not necessarily mean the vaccine is the cause of death.
Around 211 million vaccinations have administered since December and 3,848 deaths after inoculation have been reported. That amounts to 0.0017% of those who were vaccinated. The CDC determined after reviewing autopsy and medical files that there was no evidence the COVID-19 vaccine contributed to patients’ deaths. B e i w e i Tu , R C C D R i s k M a n a g e m e n t d i r e c t o r, s a i d COVID-19 vaccines are also h i g h l y e ff e c t i v e i n s e r i o u s illness and hospitalization when someone contracts the virus. “ Va c c i n e s a r e t h e m o s t effective choice to protect your health and prevent disease,” she said during the town hall. “The district strongly encourages our employees and students to take advantage of the opportunity to receive the vaccine.” T h e d i s t r i c t ’s t h r e e campuses have been hosting vaccination clinics and will continue to through the summer to ensure as many students and employees are vaccinated by the start of the fall semester.
