White House Partners With Tinder, Bumble, and Other Dating Apps To Encourage COVID Vaccinations
The White House is partnering with known dating apps like Tinder and Bumble to raise vaccine awareness among Americans, especially young adults.
According to CNBC, Hinge and Plenty of Fish will also participate in the effort by asking members to share their vaccination status.
The White House's announcement Friday that it is partnering with popular dating apps is part of the Biden administration's efforts not only to raise vaccine awareness among young adults but also to encourage the said age group to get their vaccines.
White House senior COVID official Andy Slavitt cited one of the dating apps, OkCupid, wherein members could display their vaccination status in exchange for a better shot at love.
Slavitt noted that OkCupid members "are 14% more likely to get a match." He added that vaccination right now makes all people more attractive.
The largest dating app in the U.S., Tinder, is adding additional stickers for members' profiles. It could indicate that they are already vaccinated or planning to be vaccinated, according to a Bloomberg Quint report.
Tinder will also be giving vaccinated users premium content such as a "Super Like," which could help them stand out among potential matches.
On the other hand, Bumble and Badoo will allow people to add a "vaccinated" badge to their profiles. They will also give vaccinated users credits for paid features such as "SuperSwipes."
SuperSwipes is a feature that allows users to signal interest in a possible match. The largest dating app for Latinos, Chispa, will be adding a new profile badge option, "Vacunado," to add on their profile.
Chispa will also be giving a free boost to users who are already vaccinated, according to an Axios report.
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COVID Vaccination in the U.S.
More than 60 percent of adults in the U.S. have already received at least one dose. However, 42 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 say that they are not willing to get vaccinated, according to a Quinnipiac poll in February.
Young adults 20 to 49 were reported to be responsible for 70 percent of the spread of COVID last year. In addition, doctors were also seeing more young adults admitted to hospitals with severe symptoms due to the emergence of new COVID variants.
Slavitt said the pandemic also had a negative impact on young people's lives, adding that social distancing and dating can be a challenge.
Meanwhile, a majority of Americans reportedly believe that President Joe Biden will be able to fulfill his promise to get enough vaccines for 300 million Americans by the end of the summer.
When it comes to vaccine distribution, 21 percent are very confident in the federal government's ability to oversee the distribution, while 45 percent are somewhat confident.
Seventy-five percent of Americans reported that they wear a mask all the time when they go out in public where six feet of social distancing can't always be maintained, while 12 percent said they wear a mask most of the time.
In previous months, 66 percent only reported that they wear masks about as often. More than half of Americans said that the COVID pandemic affects their mental health or family members' mental health.
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WATCH: White House, Dating Sites Join Forces to Promote COVID-19 Vaccines - From Global News