On August 17, 2026, Dr. Haruka Sakamoto, Senior Manager at Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI), appeared as a public health expert on ABEMA Prime, a news program broadcast on ABEMA.

The program took up growing anxiety and hesitancy around vaccination in Japan, prompted by a United States executive order reducing the number of vaccines recommended for young children from 17 to 11. Parents who have chosen not to vaccinate their children, or to accept only some vaccines, joined the discussion and explained the reasoning behind their decisions.

Dr. Sakamoto explained that vaccination protects not only the individual but society as a whole through herd immunity, which shields those who cannot be vaccinated and those who do not develop sufficient antibodies. She noted that vaccine anxiety takes different forms, ranging from vague unease, to strong refusal that can leave children disconnected from health care, to belief in conspiracy theories, and that each calls for a different response. She emphasized that anxiety at the earliest stage should be met not with dismissal but with careful explanation and honest answers to the questions people raise.

The discussion also addressed how individual choice and collective benefit can be reconciled, and what is required of government, health professionals, and the media as communicators of health information.