ABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed a pressing global threat. Vaccines against COVID-19 are a key tool to control the ongoing pandemic. The success of COVID-19 vaccination programs will largely depend on public willingness to receive the vaccine. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines among university students and lecturers in four different provinces of Indonesia. An anonymous, cross-sectional study was conducted online among university students and lecturers in Indonesia between 23 December 2020 and 15 February 2021. Of 3433 respondents, 50.3% stated that they would accept COVID-19 vaccination, while 10.7% expressed unwillingness and 39% were not sure about receiving the vaccine. Concern regarding the side effects after COVID-19 vaccination was the main reason among the participants for not willing to receive the vaccine. Being male, associated with the health sector, having a higher monthly expenditure and having health insurance could increase the acceptability of the COVID-19 vaccine. Low trust in the government and low confidence towards vaccine safety and efficacy could hinder participants' decision to be vaccinated. Simple, clear and fact-based information from trusted sources on a regular basis will be important for building confidence towards the COVID-19 vaccination program in Indonesia.
ABSTRACT
Two patients suffering from chronic recurrent tonsillitis were reported. The first patient was confirmed infected with COVID-19, 3 weeks prior to tonsillectomy. The detritus and tonsil specimen were further analysed through real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and revealed amplification of the fragment N and ORF1ab genes of SARS-CoV-2. The second patient had a negative IgM and positive IgG antibody for COVID-19; however, the nasopharyngeal swab indicated negative for SARS-CoV-2. Tonsillectomy was performed 2 weeks after the swab; the tonsil specimen was analysed through RT-PCR and revealed amplification of the N2 and RdRp gene of SARS-CoV-2. According to both results, the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 gene remains to be detected in tonsil and/or detritus after 2-3 weeks after recovery. Hence, it is suggested that it is necessary to use adequate protection when performing tonsillectomy on early recovered patients with COVID-19. Furthermore, tonsillectomy would be more advisable to be performed after the fourth week after recovery from COVID-19.