Photo courtesy of Tinder
In the hopes of encouraging young people to get vaccinated, the White House announced today a series of partnerships with dating apps to offer incentives to users who’ve gotten the jab.
Beginning this week, users on Tinder, Match, Hinge, OKCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, Bumble, and Badoo who can show proof of vaccination will receive access to premium features such as "boosts and super swipes,” according to the White House.
Additionally, users on these sites will be able to display vaccination “badges” on their profiles, filter their swipes based on vaccination status and search for vaccination sites through the app.
WHY THIS MATTERS
As of May 20, 38.1% of the total U.S. population are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. The rate at which people are getting vaccinated, however, has significantly slowed since its peak in April.
Combined, more than 50 million people are on these dating apps, according to the White House.
The White House is hoping that young people’s desire to get back to dating safely will lead to them getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
"According to one of the sites, OKCupid, people who display their vaccination status are 14% more likely to get a match," Andrew Slavitt, a senior advisor for the White House’s COVID-19 Response team, said in a press briefing today.
“We have finally found the one thing that makes us all more attractive: a vaccination.”
THE LARGER TREND
This is just the latest initiative to persuade people to get the vaccine.
On the governmental side, the Department of Health and Human Services launched a multilingual vaccine finder service aimed at making it “as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated.”
Multiple states, including Ohio, Maryland and New York, have created vaccine lottery programs where people can win millions of dollars after receiving the shot.
Big tech has also lent its hand to the effort. Companies including Apple, YouTube, Facebook, Google and Amazon have all created programs to boost vaccination rates.
ON THE RECORD
“Before Dr. Fauci gave us his official endorsement last April, the pandemic really pushed our members to get creative to make new connections,” Jim Lanzone, CEO of Tinder said in a statement.
“We’re excited to work with the White House to help 70% of American adults get vaccinated by July 4th. Nothing like fireworks to signal a new spark and a new start for those looking to meet new people IRL this summer.”