CAPRI held its first event of 2025, titled “Health Communication amid Misinformation and Disinformation: Vaccine Hesitancy in Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan.” This CAPRI Roundtable brought together experts in policy communication and public health from the civil society, media, and government such as Chin-Hui Yang, Division Director at Taiwan’s CDC, alongside key figures from fact-checking organizations, public health institutions, journalists, and students from Taipei Medical University and National Chengchi University.

Misinformation and disinformation erode both public trust and health system resilience, making vaccine hesitancy not just a communication issue but also a governance one. As part of CAPRI’s ongoing series on vaccine hesitancy and policy communication, Senior Fellows Shuhei Nomura and Yen Pottinger and Senior Research Associate Christine Cook presented their findings from CAPRI’s research on vaccine hesitancy in Japan, Vietnam, and Taiwan. In Japan, consistent government communication and trust—despite challenges like HPV vaccine rumors—were key, whereas in Taiwan, vaccine politicization and disinformation campaigns influenced public perception. Vietnam’s initial success was undermined by misinformation, particularly through social media.

The roundtable discussion focused on strategies to better counter misinformation, such as strengthening media literacy and integrating social science research into public health strategies. Local doctors and primary healthcare workers play an especially critical role in disseminating accurate health information. Concerns were raised about the politicization of health communication and the role of big tech in moderating disinformation. CAPRI board member and National Taiwan University professor Chang-chuan Chan advocated for a more region-wide approach, such as implementing a real-time misinformation detection framework spanning the Asia Pacific. 

The discussion concluded with a call for proactive measures, such as prebunking, to combat misinformation and enhance pandemic preparedness.

Read more:

Misinformation, Disinformation, and Vaccine Hesitancy in the Asia Pacific 

Resilience in the Asia Pacific: Vaccines and the “Triple Challenge”