China rushed to vaccinate its most vulnerable citizens on Thursday in preparation of waves of COVID-19 infections, with some analysts predicting that the death toll will skyrocket after the country loosened the regulations that had contained the epidemic for the past three years.

The drive comes as the World Health Organization has highlighted worries that China's 1.4 billion population is not fully vaccinated, and the United States has offered assistance in combating an increase in diseases.

Beijing began dismantling its strict 'zero-COVID' controls on Wednesday, lowering testing procedures and loosening quarantine regulations that have caused mental stress for tens of millions and damaged the second largest economy in the world.

The reversal of President Xi Jinping's signature "zero-COVID" program was precipitated by enormous protests against it. But, according to Mike Ryan, WHO's head of emergencies, infections in China were surging even before the government's decision to phase out its strict policy.

During a briefing in Geneva, Ryan stated, "There is currently a narrative that China relaxed the rules and all of a sudden the disease is out of control."

"The disease was growing rapidly because, in my opinion, the control measures were insufficient to halt its spread."

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated Thursday that China had "institutional advantages" to combat COVID.

In response to White House national security spokesman John Kirby's statement that the U.S. was prepared to assist China if needed, he told a regular news briefing, "We will undoubtedly be able to navigate the epidemic's peak with ease."

Long lines outside of fever clinics, prescription shortages, and widespread panic buying are mounting indications that China's strategy shift is causing havoc.

A video shared online on Wednesday depicted a number of individuals in heavy winter attire connected to intravenous drips as they sat on stools in front of a clinic in central Hubei province. Reuters confirmed the video's location.

The COVID panic in China also prompted people in Hong Kong, Macau, and some Australian neighborhoods to seek out fever medications and test kits for relatives and friends on the mainland.

China may have to pay a price for protecting a population that lacks "herd immunity" and has poor vaccination rates among the elderly, analysts say, despite its efforts to contain the virus since its outbreak in late 2019 in Wuhan, central China.

Analysts at Eurasia Group said in a report on Thursday, "Authorities have let cases in Beijing and other places to proliferate to the point where restarting restrictions, testing, and tracking would be mostly ineffectual in bringing epidemics under control."

More than one million individuals may perish from COVID in the next months.

Other experts have estimated the potential death toll to exceed 2 million. To date, China has reported only 5,235 COVID-related deaths, an exceedingly low number by international standards.

On Thursday, China's stock markets and currencies plummeted due to fears about the virus's spread.

China reported 2,000 new symptomatic COVID-19 infections on December 14, fewer than the daily average of 2,291. As testing has decreased, however, the reliability of official statistics has decreased. Wednesday marked the cessation of reporting asymptomatic numbers.

Concern for Elderly

China, which has stated that almost 90 percent of its population has been immunized against COVID, has now opted to send out the second booster shot for high-risk groups including seniors older than 60.

According to statements cited by state media, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the National Health Commission, stated on Wednesday that it was vital to expedite vaccination promotion.

According to the most recent official data, China provided 1.43 million COVID vaccinations on Tuesday, which is significantly higher than the 100,000-200,000 daily doses administered in November. It has administered 3.45 billion shots in all.

However, a Shanghai nursing home reported on Wednesday that a handful of its residents had not yet been vaccinated, and due to their underlying medical condition, it has banned visitors and non-essential deliveries while storing medications, test kits, and protective equipment.

The Yuepu Tianyi Nursing Home wrote in a message uploaded on its official WeChat account page, "We are racking our brains for ways to safeguard the safety of your grandparents."

Beijing has been generally resistant to western vaccines and therapies, relying instead on domestically produced immunizations. Oral COVID-19 therapy from Pfizer Paxlovid is one of the few approved foreign drugs.

Previously, the medication was only provided in hospitals for people at high risk; however, indications have emerged in recent days that it may soon be made more broadly accessible.

Wednesday, China Meheco Group Co Ltd announced a deal to import a medicine from a U.S. pharmaceutical company.

Economic Conference

According to people with knowledge of the situation, President Xi, his governing Politburo, and senior government officials have begun a two-day conference to prepare a recovery for China's devastated economy as the virus spreads.

China's economy lost momentum in November as factory output growth slowed and retail sales prolonged falls, both missing predictions and registering their lowest readings since May, according to data released on Thursday.

This year, according to estimates by economists, China's GDP has fallen to roughly 3%, marking one of China's worst performances in nearly half a century.