White House partners with dating apps to encourage COVID-19 vaccinations

Starting this week, the White House is hoping Americans swipe right for Covid vaccines, partnering with a series of prominent dating apps to offer incentives to customers who've been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Vaccinated users on Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, BLK, Chispa, Plenty of Fish, Bumble, and Badoo will gain access to premium content "like boosts, super likes, and super swipes" with proof of vaccination, according to the White House. Users will also be able to filter potential matches by vaccination status or book vaccination appointments through the apps.

Early in the administration, the White House surpassed the original goal of 100 million shots administered in the first 100 days of President Joe Biden's presidency, ultimately more than doubling that goal by Biden's 100th day in office.

Since then, however, the average daily pace of coronavirus vaccinations is down almost 50% from its April peak, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. More than 160 million people -- about 48% of the US population -- have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, and nearly 127 million people -- about 38% of the US population -- is fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.

The White House's partnership with popular dating apps is the latest in its efforts to reach the vaccine hesitant as vaccination rates plateau. Previously, the administration has partnered with NASCAR, country music organizations, and rural organizations, with additional ad campaigns targeting Black and Latino Americans and partnerships with social media companies like Facebook aimed at reaching hard-hit and at-risk communities. Many states, including Ohio, New York, and Maryland, have offered lottery drawings to incentivize residents to get vaccinated.

"According to research from OKCupid, people who are vaccinated or plan to get vaccinated receive 14% more Matches than people who don't plan to get vaccinated," the White House told reporters in a fact sheet Thursday.

Earlier this month, Biden set a goal of administering at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 70% of the US adult population and having 160 million US adults fully vaccinated by July 4. Per CDC guidelines announced last week, vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks or practice social distancing, including indoors on -- one hopes -- a date.