China administered nasal spray COVID-19 vaccines on December 17 to Beijing residents as booster shots, after infections spiked in the capital city following the government’s abrupt exit from its stringent zero-COVID policy. Increasing the uptake of vaccinations is vital for China to prevent large-scale outbreaks and fatalities, especially among the elderly. China has told its population of 1.4 billion to nurse their mild symptoms at home unless symptoms become severe, as cities across the country brace for their first waves of infections.