For months Sara Jablow searched for a hard-to-find combination of personality traits in future boyfriends. Now, however, after nearly a year of the Covid-19 pandemic, one elusive trait for her is starting to transcend all others: vaccination status.
It’s not that Jablow is picky; The 34-year-old winemaker from Napa, California has had about half a dozen Zoom dates and several live dates since she ended her last long-term relationship in June. This time, however, the whole quest is different; she received her first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine in late January and she is looking for a partner who is either vaccinated or interested in getting vaccinated soon.
“It’s all about the vaccine for me now,” said Jablow, who was vaccinated early because of her job in the California agricultural sector. “I’m pretty clear about it: I believe in science, and if someone isn’t interested (in the vaccine) or not in (vaccines in general), I’m done.”
Jablow is by no means the only vaccinated single looking for safer dating these days.
Matchmakers have reported that there is a high demand for partners who have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots. Dating sites have recorded a dramatic increase in the mentions of the word vaccine. Even if you’re bugging masked and distant hangouts in public parks, it seems everyone is desperate for someone injected.
“Getting vaccinated or being open to getting it is the most exciting thing you can do right now,” said Michael Kaye, spokesperson for the OKCupid dating site.
OKCupid users see vaccines as the “light at the end of the tunnel,” Kaye said.
“Not only is it good for your health and safety to be open to the vaccine, but it’s also good for your dating.”
Demand is increasing
Exactly how much interest does vaccination status generate today? That depends on who you ask for information.
At OKCupid, Kaye said he saw a 25% increase in the number of “vaccines” mentions on site profiles in the month of January, and a 63% increase between November and January. He added that users who answer “Yes” to a standard profile question “Are you getting the Covid-19 vaccine?” are up to 25% more “Liked” than those who answer “No” or choose not to answer.
Other dating sites reported even more encouraging statistics.
Dating site Tinder registered an astronomical 258% increase in the number of mentions of the word “vaccine,” between September and December last year, said Dana Balch, a spokesman for the Los Angeles-based company.
“What this tells me is that the idea of becoming immune to the virus has sparked a conversation around a cultural moment that everyone is thinking about,” she said. “We expect interest (in vaccines) to only increase.”
Granted, at this stage of vaccine introduction, these numbers can be a little skewed. Most of the people vaccinated are health care professionals, first responders, essential workers, and people over the age of 65 or 70. In most of these cases, people are probably too busy or want to prioritize dating right now.
“I think there will be seismic shifts in the way we think about this,” she said.
Gandhi envisioned a scenario in which single people declare Covid-19 vaccination status in the same way that some claim they are taking prophylactic medications to prevent the transmission of HIV.
“Dating is about developing an emotional connection and making sure someone doesn’t have red flags,” she continued. “Knowing someone has gotten a Covid vaccine certainly eliminates one of the biggest red flags of the time.”
What vaccination really means
Technically, Gandhi is right – at the most basic level, vaccination status indicates whether a prospective lover has received the injection. On another level, a person’s willingness to broadcast vaccination status reveals a lot about that person’s morality and his relationship to such issues as science, politics, and the greater good.
Vaccination status is a way of “understanding a person’s relationship with trusted institutions,” said Jennifer Reich, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado Denver. Vaccines mark a certain belief in public health and the desire to participate in community fixes, she said, noting that this can be important to people, just as certain types of causes have been important in dating over time.
“People are looking for people who share their values, and this could be its own symbolic marker,” said Reich, who has for years specialized in examining attitudes about vaccinations.
The Covid-19 vaccine allows you to control your own exposure to the virus, but besides contributing to the herd’s ultimate immunity, it says little about your willingness to control the exposure of others, said Rachel DeAlto, chief dating officer at Match.com.
“The vaccine is meant to protect yourself, while masks protect other people,” she said. “The conversation about masks is more difficult.”
DeAlto added that dating post-vaccination, like dating from the Covid era in general, is tantamount to risk tolerance.
“Someone who’s getting vaccinated might say, ‘I’ll take that chance and start making out with people again,’” she explained. “Others will not feel comfortable unless they have double protection between them and the person they are dating. Before you go out again, find out where you stand, and be very clear about it from the start . “
The downside to this comparison is that when two vaccinated people come together, the risks to them are nearly nil, said CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency room physician in Baltimore and visiting professor of public health at George Washington University in Washington. , DC.
“If your grandparents are vaccinated and they want to meet up for dinner with their neighbors, as long as the neighbors are also vaccinated, they can eat inside because they don’t pose a danger to each other,” said Wen. “The same is true of dating – if you’re dating someone else who is fully vaccinated, the danger to both parties involved is minimal.”
Reservation to remember
First, both current vaccines require two injections, and even then they take a few weeks to work.
Second, it can be difficult for people to prove to potential partners that they received the injection if they do not have an official vaccination card or a photo on social media.
Complicating the situation is that some of the newer strains of Covid-19 have proven to be more transferable than the original, which can pose additional health risks.
In addition, the number of cases is still high, increasing the chance for everyone to encounter the virus.
Gandhi, the dating coach, said that when people get vaccinated and get back into the dating pool, communicating mindfulness about these issues can go a long way.
“Being aware of the big picture shows that you take it seriously,” she said. “It signals in the best way.”
As for Jablow, the winemaker, vaccination status hasn’t changed anything – especially when it comes to the way she prepares to potentially expose others.
She still wears face cover. She still keeps her distance. She still avoids going into the supermarket at all costs. Jablow went so far as to say that she’s even more careful about her health after she gets the vaccine – out of necessity.
“If I went on a date with someone who hadn’t been vaccinated, picked up Covid and then gave it to someone else, I don’t know if I could sleep at night or live by myself,” she said. ‘It felt like I won the lottery when I heard I was going to get the vaccine. It’s a responsibility. It is an honor. I can’t mess it up. I will not do it.’
Matt Villano is a writer in Northern California. His parents received their vaccinations earlier this month.