On Friday, the White House announced that it has partnered with several major dating apps to encourage people seeking companionship to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The Washington Post reported, “Nine dating sites have teamed up with the Biden administration to add features that will let users show they’ve gotten their shots.”
Andy Slavitt, the White House senior advisor on the nation’s coronavirus response, told reporters on Friday that the effort is intended to target younger Americans. He added, “these sites cater to over 50 million people in the U.S. and are some of the world’s biggest non-gaming apps.”
As demand for the vaccine slows, promotional campaigns are expected to launch on the apps in the coming weeks to help meet President Joe Biden’s goal to inoculate 70% of U.S. adults with at least one COVID-19 shot by July 4.
“Social distancing and dating were always a bit of a challenging combination, but today dating sites like Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, and Badoo are announcing a series of features to encourage vaccinations and help people meet people who have that universally attractive quality: they’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19,” Slavitt said.
Slavitt went on to cite data provided by OkCupid that he said found “people who display their vaccination status are 14% more likely to get a match.”
“We have finally found the one thing that makes us all more attractive: a vaccination.”
WH COVID response adviser Andy Slavitt details the dating app vaccine partnership:
• Vaccination status “badges”
• Filters to see only people who are vaccinated
• “Premium content” like “boosts” and “super swipes” pic.twitter.com/GHjTfmqSwZ— The Recount (@therecount) May 21, 2021
National Public Radio reported:
The types of new offerings will vary from site to site. Match, for example, will allow members to add a new “Vaccinated” badge to their profiles and give them a free “boost” to make their profile appear higher up in search results. BLK, the largest dating app for Black singles, will give also offer vaccinated users a boost if they add a “Vaxified” badge to their profiles. Tinder, the dating app with the most U.S. users, will also have vaccinated badges, as well as a new “Vaccine Center” to help connect users with nearby vaccination sites.
The effort to enlist dating apps in the vaccine drive is just one in a series of sometimes unorthodox measures that officials across the country have turned to in order to get more doses into arms. Maine, for example, has offered free hunting licenses to vaccinated residents, while the governor of Ohio has started a $1 million lottery for anyone who’s received at least one dose of a vaccine.
During a White House briefing on Tuesday, Slavitt revealed that his 19-year-old son, Zach, is still experiencing lingering effects from COVID-19 after he first tested positive last fall.
“He’s young and fit and in the prime of his life,” Slavitt said. “But six months later, he still suffers from tachycardia, shortness of breath, and ongoing frequent flu-like symptoms. His hands are cold to the touch. Neither he nor his parents – my wife and I – are sure how long this will last.”
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 161.3 million people, including more than 60% of adults, have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Less than 39% of the total population has been fully vaccinated, according to CDC data.