‘Swipe left for unvaxxed’: Vaccine status complicates the scene on dating apps

Love in the time of Covid is a complicated affair. In France, dating got trickier this week after a “vaccine pass” came into force on Monday. The new pass requires people aged 16 and above to show proof of vaccination (that is, three doses) to enter public places such as bars, restaurants and cinemas.

When it comes to love and the jab, for many the political has become personal. A new dating app in Switzerland, Impffrei: Love (Vaccine-free: Love) now offers unvaccinated singles the opportunity to hook up. The site claims more than 12,000 users in Europe, particularly in Germany.

France does not have a dating app for anti-vaxxers – yet. But some of the global dating app giants, which are also popular in France, have adapted to public health requirements across borders.  

Since last summer, Tinder – one of the world’s leading online dating apps – has offered users “Vaccinated” or “Vaxxing Soon” interactive stickers for their profiles. In the US, Tinder – along with other apps such as Hinge, OKCupid and Match – partnered with the White House last year to raise vaccine awareness by offering features such as profile badges, boosts and “super likes” for users who revealed they were vaccinated. The UK government also teamed up with leading dating brands to provide “in-app bonuses” for vaccinated profiles.  

But would public declarations of vaccine status work for the French, the storied connoisseurs of amour? 

On Meetic, the French dating site giant with more than 10 million visits per month, the jab is now a feature on user profiles. But it’s still a “non” for 24-year-old Salomé.

“It’s medical information, I find it strange to include it on a dating app,” she says. The double-vaccinated and boosted woman admits, however, that the Covid-19 virus has put a damper on her love life.

“Dating is more complicated right now. I’m less trusting on apps because I don’t know where the guy has been, or if he’s the type to take it lightly and pass on the virus when he’s infected.” 

Seeking the vaccinated  

Innoculation status is simply not a very romantic topic, she says: “Asking about the vaccine – I must admit, it spoils the charm.” Salomé uses the French app Froots and just fixed a date for the coming weekend. “I didn’t dare ask him,” she confesses. “When I date someone, it’s to bring life into my life, not to think about the disease.”

But for Ben Puygrenier, spokesman for Tinder France, a vaccination sticker “alleviates some of the heaviness surrounding this pandemic, which remains oppressive for everyone, especially when you’re dating”, he said in an interview with FRANCE 24.        

Tinder offered the vaccination status option because the company’s teams found that “many users had already shared their vaccination status in their profiles”, said Puygrenier. The company says vaccination has become an inescapable topic of discussion between users since December 2020. The use of the term “vaccine” increased by 149 percent in six months (between December 2020 and June 2021), according to company data. 

Tinder is not the only platform to observe this phenomenon. At Meetic, an internal study conducted in August 2021 found that 32 percent of registered users had already filled in their vaccination status. What’s more, 50 percent of the French app’s users said they were counting on the vaccine to help them meet someone, compared with only 18 percent in February 2021.

Skipping restaurants and heading straight home  

When the new “vaccine pass” came into force on Monday, the situation became even more difficult. An earlier “health pass” had allowed people to show other documentation, such as proof of a negative test, to access public venues. The vaccine pass is only available for people who have been inoculated or have a Covid-19 recovery certificate (between 11 weeks and six months of infection). 

“No restaurants, bars or cinemas with a non-vaccinated person … dating will become quite limited,” sighs Salomé. “The only alternative in the middle of winter is to meet in an apartment. To be on the safe side, few girls would agree to go to a guy’s place for a first date if they don’t know him, and neither would I. This will reduce the number of dates for these unvaccinated men.”

Adèle, 34, is among the 20 percent of people in France who are not vaccinated. “I’ve never had a setback on dating apps,” says the frequent Tinder and Adopte user. Covid-19 has simply changed the way she approaches dating.

“During lockdown, apps were the only way to meet someone, whereas before the pandemic, I used to get to know people when I went out to dance once a month or to a friend’s place,” she explained. “Seeing men during the lockdown allowed me to keep that social connection. Since everything was closed, we would meet at each other’s houses, despite the curfews.”

“Before the pandemic, I would go through the initial stage of having a drink or watching a movie with someone. Now skipping that step has become normal for me. Since Covid, dates immediately become more serious.” 

Although Adèle has not had the jab herself, she says her ideal match is not necessarily a fellow anti-vaxxer. “I find the approach of the Swiss app too segregated. I can have a discussion with someone who doesn’t share my opinion, it’s a shame to stop that,” she explains. 

Adèle has a vaccine pass for the next few months since she got Covid-19 from a man she met on an app. But she wonders about her dating future.

“It will probably be easier to date people who don’t have a vaccine pass,” she surmises. “If someone posts a ‘vaccinated’ sticker and I like him, I will look at his profile in detail. If I see that he is particularly against non-vaccinated people, I won’t pursue it.” 

This article was translated from the original in French.