When it comes to embarking on romantic relationships, many people will have a checklist regarding what they hope to find in a prospective match—whether it’s a preference for rural or urban living, a fondness for romantic strolls on the beach, or a love of animals.
Here in 2021, however, one trait stands above many others when it comes to potential close contact with a date: Have you received your vaccination yet?
In order to encourage amorous individuals to get their shots, the White House COVID-19 response team has teamed with multiple popular dating apps—including Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish and Badoo—to offer special perks to vaccinated daters, TechCrunch reports.
Giving Users an Extra Burst of Popularity
Tinder, for instance, is letting members display stickers such as “I’m Vaccinated” or “Vaccines Save Lives” on their profiles. From June 2 through July 4, it is also allowing people who participate in this promotion to receive a free Super Like. (A Super Like adds a bright blue border and star to profiles, highlighting that, well, you Super Like a person.)
Meanwhile, OkCupid has announced that those who apply its “I’m Vaccinated” profile badges within the first 48 hours, commencing May 24, will get a free Boost. (A Boost means that your profile gets shown in more results than it would usually be shown in, like an “extra burst of popularity.”)
Dating apps may not be the first place you’d associate with the vaccination drive, but as a social interaction tool, it makes plenty of sense when you stop and think about it. According to Tinder, it’s seen a massive surge in mentions of the word “vaccine,” up 800% since the start of the pandemic. It notes that:
Mentions hit an all-time high in April, the first month that all adults in the U.S. were eligible to receive a vaccine, with many members using their bio as a way to share their intention to get vaccinated.
The Vaccine Drive
The White House is currently in the middle of a major drive to get 70% of U.S. adults vaccinated by July 4. To push the initiative, it has teamed up with the likes of NASCAR and country music channel CMT to promote the importance of the vaccination efforts. Tools like Uber and Lyft have also committed to offering free rides to vaccination sites.
White House Senior COVID Advisor Andy Slavitt noted in a press event Friday that, “Social distancing and dating were always a bit of a challenging combination.” Nonetheless, he said that, “We have finally found the one thing that makes us all more attractive: A vaccination.”