Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama held a meeting of the Headquarters for Countermeasures against Novel Influenza A (H1N1) at the Prime Minister's Office. The meeting, which the Cabinet members attended, was held in response to a widespread prevalence of the novel influenza A (H1N1) with an increasing number of people infected, and a further spread of infections anticipated for the autumn and winter seasons.

At the meeting, the new Basic Response Policy was decided upon. Taking the characteristics of the novel influenza A (H1N1) into account, the Basic Response Policy aims to prevent the spread of infections while minimizing the effect on the daily lives of the public as well as on the economy and to protect people with severe illnesses and those with underlying medical conditions and others with higher risk of developing severe illnesses. The Basic Policy for the Vaccination for Novel Influenza A (H1N1) was also decided upon on this occasion, with the goal of reducing as much as possible the number of death cases and incidences of severe illnesses, and of securing necessary medical treatment to that end.

Prime Minister Hatoyama said, "We should assume that the infection with the influenza will be prevalent during the autumn and winter seasons. Therefore, it is vital for the Headquarters to hammer out steady countermeasures. I, as the Chair of the Headquarters, take this opportunity to once more strongly call on you to make utmost efforts with an understanding that swiftness of the Headquarters' responses will determine the people's life and death."