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

France24

Since the vaccine pass came into force in France, people who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 can no longer meet up in bars, restaurants and cinemas – the ideal places for a date. On dating apps, an increasing number of users are posting their vaccination status and looking for likeminded others. FRANCE 24 asked French users if the pandemic has changed their dating habits. 

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…