“According to one of the websites, OkCupid, people who view their vaccination status are 14 percent more likely to get a match,” Slavitt said as a Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the government’s foremost infectious disease expert and somewhat of a sex symbol in some circles, seemed to be suppressing the laughter. Mr Slavitt added, “In all seriousness, people are interested in other things in life besides their vaccine.”
Highlighting the work of tech companies that can get Americans where they are – on their phones – has been a cornerstone of the Biden government’s effort to address vaccine access concerns and hesitation and people who have not yet received a shot have to remember that could help the country get out of the pandemic. Providers administer an average of 1.83 million doses per day, a decrease of around 46 percent from the high of 3.38 million on April 13, according to federal data.
This month, the president said that Uber and Lyft, two of the country’s largest ridesharing services, would be offering free rides to vaccination sites from Monday through July 4, highlighting the benefits of a shot without actually hiring one, and establishing two classes of Americans, vaccinated and not vaccinated.
On Friday, the final message from the White House was: Get a shot, get a date.
Mr Slavitt said popular apps like Tinder, OkCupid and Hinge – along with a number of others including BLK, which is aimed at black singles and Chispa, which is marketed to Latinos – will add features aimed at reaching a population of young people who can have been largely isolated from each other during the pandemic and will promote the idea that getting a shot might help users with their intentions. Tinder plans to roll out a feature that will allow users to find vaccination sites nearby.
Mr Slavitt said Friday that the effort that could reach over 50 million people in the United States is not an official partnership with the companies. However, the White House played an important role in getting them to participate, an administrative official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to comment publicly on the effort.
