WASHINGTON (CN) — The nine biggest dating apps in the country are teaming up with the White House to promote Covid-19 vaccinations, allowing users to display their vaccination status and filter out people who are unvaccinated.
“We have finally found the one thing that makes us all more attractive: a vaccination,” Andy Slavitt, the White House's senior adviser on Covid-19 response, said in a press briefing Friday.
According to OKCupid, people who are vaccinated are 14% more likely to get a match.
Bumble, Hinge, Tinder and Match will also offer vaccinated users premium content like boosts, super likes and superswipes — with proof of vaccination — while Chispa and BLK will boost the profiles of those who are vaccinated. Additionally, the apps will provide vaccine information and help users find places to get vaccinated.
The White House partnership with the apps — which cater to over 50 million people in the U.S. — is part of its latest effort to reach President Joe Biden’s goal of vaccinating 70% of U.S. adults with at least one Covid-19 shot by Independence Day.
Currently, 45% of adults are fully vaccinated and 60% are partially vaccinated.
“We believe that it’s particularly important to reach young people where they are in the effort to get the vaccine,” Slavitt said, as adults under 45 have shown the most vaccine hesitancy.
According to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a recent survey found that more than 70% of Americans are either vaccinated or planning on getting vaccinated. For the demographic that isn’t opposed to the vaccine but hasn’t gotten it yet, incentives can really help, as the vaccine isn’t their No. 1 priority.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, dangling incentives in front of Americans has increased the rate of first vaccinations from a low of 551,000 per day to more than 630,000 per day.
Uber and Lyft will begin providing free rides to vaccination sites beginning May 24, while many states are taking matters into their own hands: allowing vaccinated individuals to enter a lottery or giving out gift cards, food, sporting tickets and more.
“The vaccine enables people to get back to the things people enjoy in life,” Slavitt said. “They want to get back to their normal lives, and we’re making sure they can do that safely.
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