Evolving coronavirus may call for updated boosters

+ a right royal obsession US Edition - Today's top story: Future COVID-19 booster shots will likely need fresh formulations as new coronavirus variants of concern continue to emerge [View in browser]( US Edition | 2 June 2022 [The Conversation]( Are you up to date on your COVID-19 vaccinations? Depending on your age and your health, that could be as many as four different shots. Except they’re not actually different shots – the boosters are additional doses of the same vaccine recipes authorized well over a year ago. While the shots have stayed the same, the coronavirus has been busy evolving into all the new variants you’ve heard of over the course of the pandemic. Immunologist David Martinez [writes that viral changes can mean]( the original vaccines based on the now-extinct ancestral strain of the virus may not work well forever. He suggests the annual effort to produce influenza shots that match the common flu strains in circulation provides some lessons for the future of COVID-19 vaccination efforts. Also today: - [The challenge of talking to a class about mass trauma]( - [Why unlawful maps are being allowed for the midterms]( - [To prepare for the next pandemic, let’s listen to the kids]( Maggie Villiger Senior Science + Technology Editor Viral surveillance and prediction may be key parts of figuring out what goes into a vaccine. Pexels Cover/500px via Getty Images [Future COVID-19 booster shots will likely need fresh formulations as new coronavirus variants of concern continue to emerge]( David R. Martinez, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A new generation of vaccines and boosters against SARS-CoV-2 may take a page from the anti-influenza playbook, with shots periodically tailored to target the most commonly circulating virus strains. Education - [Teachers often struggle to address mass traumatic events in class]( Jennifer Greif Green, Boston University; Jonathan S. Comer, Florida International University; Melissa Holt, Boston University Schoolteachers routinely report feeling ill-prepared to guide their students through difficult conversations about high-profile violent events. - [5 ways to reduce school shootings]( Paul Boxer, Rutgers University - Newark Risk assessments and rigid gun laws are among the tools that can help prevent school massacres, a specialist in youth aggression says. Politics + Society - [Supreme Court allows states to use unlawfully gerrymandered congressional maps in the 2022 midterm elections]( Henry L. Chambers Jr., University of Richmond A ruling by the US Supreme Court to allow unlawful maps to be used in the midterm elections will affect who gets elected to the House of Representatives and may determine control of Congress. Health + Medicine - [Heard v. Depp trial was not just a media spectacle – it provided an opportunity to discuss the nuances of intimate partner violence]( Kellie Lynch, The University of Texas at San Antonio Intimate partner violence can take many forms – and it doesn’t always fit society’s stereotypes. - [Listening to young people could help reduce pandemic-related harms to children]( Tammy Chang, University of Michigan; Jonathan Todres, Georgia State University Making room for the input of children and adolescents in responses to the next pandemic would help maintain their health, education, well-being and more. Arts + Culture - [As the UK celebrates Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee, why will so many Americans also be cheering her on?]( Arianne Chernock, Boston University The UK is set to spend four days celebrating the very long monarchy of Queen Elizabeth II. But as the Platinum Jubilee is marked, why do so many Americans also fawn over the British royal family? Environment + Energy - [Should we protect nature for its own sake? For its economic value? Because it makes us happy? Yes]( Bradley J. Cardinale, Penn State With the world losing species at an alarming rate, a conservation biologist explains how ideas about protecting biodiversity have evolved over the past 40 years. Trending on site - [6 charts show key role firearms makers play in America’s gun culture]( - [‘Masked’ cancer drug stealthily trains immune system to kill tumors while sparing healthy tissues, reducing treatment side effects]( - [Deaths and injuries in road crashes are a ‘silent epidemic on wheels’]( Today's graphic [A bar chart showing the amount of investments in environmental, social and governance, or ESG, criteria. The data is shown for 2016, 2018, 2020 and the estimate for 2025.]( From the story, [How a sustainability index can keep Exxon but drop Tesla – and 3 ways to fix ESG ratings to meet investors’ expectations]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Global Economy & Business]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](