After running for eight wonderful years, the creators of Brooklyn Nine-Nine have announced that they will be airing their final season in August of this year. After shooting nearly 150 episodes, the show has called it quits.
The show boasted of an impressive cast with SNL legend Andy Samberg, the hilarious Chelsea Peretti, the talented terry crews, the award-winning Andre Braugher, and several others. The premise of the show revolved around the lives of the detectives at the 99th precinct in Brooklyn.
Not only did they have a talented cast, but it was also a diverse one. Out of the 9 main cast members, only 4 were caucasian males. Melissa Fumero plays Amy Santiago, an aspiring captain. The show follows her journey and we can only hope she achieves this goal in the final season.
The most amazing thing about the show was the way it addressed social issues while still maintaining a comedic tone. Covering issues such as racial profiling, sexual harassment, and homophobia, the show never shied away from uncomfortable topics. The elegance with which these topics are handled is truly respectable.
The eighth season will air in August and will be covering recent events such as the murder of George Floyd and the Covid pandemic. Hopefully, we’ll see more of Cheddar too!
The only way to fight this deadly pandemic is by vaccinating ourselves. People are people’s cure. With so many companies releasing Covid-19 vaccines, people get confused as to which parameter is to be used while comparing them. Most of them start comparing vaccines based on their efficiency. There is a strong reason behind why you shouldn’t do that.
Parameters to consider
Covaxin, Covishield, Sputnik V (left to right)
Let us consider the three most used vaccines in India: Sputnik V, Covaxin, Covishield. The efficacy rates of the three are:
Sputnik V- 92%
Covaxin-81%
Covishield-70%
Based on this data, one may conclude that Sputnik V is the best and Covishield the worst. But before reaching this conclusion, let us consider some more important specifications.
Sputnik V vaccine:
Sputnik V is an adenoviral based Russian made vaccine, used against Covid-19. It works by introducing a weakened virus into the body so that they don’t immediately replicate and cause disease. Instead it prepares our immune system so that when the real virus attacks, the severity can be minimum to none. It requires two doses, with a 21 day interval between.
The trials were conducted on volunteers from Russia from June 2020 to Nov 2020 against the original and UK variant Covid-19. 19,000 volunteers from Russia participated in the trial, so trials were not done on Indian people.
Covaxin:
Covaxin was developed by India’s National Institute of Virology (NIV). It works by introducing a dead Covid virus into the body, thus enabling the immune system to develop a response, and this method is often considered safe. It was first trialed on animals, and then proceeded to human trials. It requires two doses, with a 4-6 week interval between.
The trials were conducted on volunteers from India from June 2020 to Jan 2021 against both the original and UK variant virus. Trials were done on a total of 26,000 volunteers.
Covishield:
Covishield was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. It works by introducing a weakened version of a common cold adenovirus into the body and triggers an immune response. It requires two doses, with a 4-8 week interval between.
The trials were conducted on volunteers from USA from August 2020 to December 2020 against the original virus only. Trials were done on a total of 30,000 volunteers.
As it can be observed, all three vaccine trials were conducted under different time periods, in different countries, on people of different nationalities on different variant viruses. Thus comparing them solely on the efficiency rates alone is not fair.
So which one to choose?
The answer to this question is that all three do their jobs as specified. There is no single ‘perfect’ vaccine. So instead of waiting for a vaccine with higher efficiency rate, try to vaccinate yourself as soon as possible. The goal of a vaccine is not to prevent you from getting Covid-19, but to reduce its severity, thus reducing severe symptoms and death.
Evidently, no vaccinated individual during the trials were hospitalized when they got Covid-19. The intake of medicines prescribed by their doctors, good food and isolation cured them. Hence this is proof that vaccination reduces the severity of the virus. Do not be under the false pretense that once vaccinated, Covid-19 cannot affect you and hence do not roam out. You maybe vaccinated, but other may not be. So do not be the cause of their attack.
This post was written with the intention of debunking the false hope of people that better efficiency rate equals better vaccine. So vaccinate yourself when you get the chance instead of waiting for the perfect vaccine. Be safe and be home. Let us together win this battle and soon return back to normal.
India has crossed a major landmark in Covid-19 vaccination. More than 21 Crore Cumulative Vaccine Doses have been administered in the country so far. Health Ministry said, vaccination is an integral pillar of the comprehensive strategy of the Government for containment and management of the pandemic, along with Test, Track, Treat and COVID Appropriate Behaviour.
The Ministry said that more than 28 lakh nine thousand beneficiaries were inoculated with Covid-19 vaccine doses yesterday. Out of which more than 25 lakh 11 thousand beneficiaries were vaccinated for 1st dose and around three lakh beneficiaries received 2nd dose of the vaccine. The Ministry said, more than 14 lakh 15 thousand beneficiaries of the age group 18 to 44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine yesterday and more than nine thousand beneficiaries of the same age group received their second dose of vaccine.
Cumulatively, over one crore 82 lakh persons across 37 States and Union Territories have received their first dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive. The Ministry said, Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have administered more than 10 lakh beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years for the first dose of COVID vaccine.
Centre has enhanced and liberalised the insurance compensation schemes under Employees State Insurance Corporation and Employees Provident Fund Organization with a view to mitigate the financial difficulties faced due to death of single earning member in the family. The decision on the relief measures were taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an important meeting held in New Delhi yesterday.
Under the relief measures announced, benefit of ESIC pension scheme for employment related death cases has been extended to even those who have died due to COVID. Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms. This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from 24th of March of last year and for all such cases till 24th of March next year.
Additionally, the insurance benefits under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance Scheme (EDLI) have been enhanced to seven lakh rupees. The provision of minimum insurance benefit of two lakh 50 thousand rupees has been restored and will also apply retrospectively from 15th of February last year for the next three years. To benefit families of contractual and casual workers, the condition of continuous employment in only one establishment has also been liberalized.
The benefit under the relaxed norms will be made available to families of even those employees who may have changed jobs in the last 12 months preceding their death.
In a major relief announcement extending much needed support for the children who have lost their parents due to COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday approved slew of measures under PM-CARES for Children scheme, including free education and an amount of 10 lakh rupees on attaining the age of 23, among others.
The Prime Minister chaired an important meeting to discuss and deliberate on steps which need to be taken to support children who have been orphaned due to COVID-19. Mr. Modi emphasized that children represent the future of the country and the country will do everything possible to support and protect the children so that they develop as strong citizens and have a bright future. He stressed that in such trying times, it is our duty as a society, to care for our children and instill hope for a bright future.
All children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian or adoptive parents due to COVID-19 will be supported under PM-CARES for Children scheme.
Under the PM-CARES for Children scheme contribution will be done through the PM CARES Fund till the age of 18 years to create a corpus of 10 lakh rupees for each child orphaned due to COVID-19. The beneficiary will be given a monthly stipend for five years from 18 years of age till he completes 23 years. On attaining the age of 23, the full amount of 10 lakh rupees will be transferred to the beneficiary for his professional or personal use.
Ensuring free education to such Kids, under this scheme, children under 10 years of age will be given admissions in Kendriya Vidyalayas and private schools whereas provision has been made for educating kids between 11 to 18 years of age in residential schools including Sainik Schools and Navodaya Vidyalayas. Expenditure on uniform, text books and notebooks for beneficiary kids will be done through PMCARES Fund. Students going for higher education will also be assisted to get education loans and scholarships.
All children beneficiaries will be enrolled under Ayushman Bharat Scheme with a health insurance cover of five lakh rupees, the premium for which will be paid by the PM CARES Fund.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will share his thoughts with the people in the country and abroad in the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme on All India Radio at 11 AM today. It will be the 77th episode of the monthly radio programme. It will be broadcast on the entire network of AIR and Doordarshan and also on AIR News website www.newsonair.com and newsonair Mobile App.
It will also be streamed live on the YouTube channels of AIR, DD News, PMO and Information and Broadcasting Ministry. AIR will broadcast the programme in regional languages immediately after the Hindi broadcast. The regional language versions will be repeated at 8 in the evening.
Eduindex News 
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