Would You Date Someone If They're Unvaccinated?

According to a recent study, 28% of singles wouldn’t. Woman investigates

- Fiona Kinloch, Sally Windsor

When the voluntary COVID-19 vaccine first became available in December 2020, it quickly split the UK population into two camps – those for the jab, and those against it. For months, the hotly debated topic continued to dominate headlines, and recent news that a single jab for 12- to 15-year-olds is now being offered has seen the subject of vaccines thrust into public discourse once more.

In fact, conversations surrounding vaccine status have become so prevalent that even dating sites including Tinder, Match, Hinge and Plenty of Fish allow users the option to display a badge on their profile to indicate whether they have been vaccinated. So, is it a deal-breaker for those looking for love, with results from a recent YouGov poll showing that some 28% of adults would not date an unvaccinated person?

With socially distanced rendezvous and elbow punches now the new norm, we examine just how dating has changed in light of the pandemic and why vaccine status continues to be a bone of contention when it comes to choosing a partner.

Cheshire-based dating expert Lara Besbrode, 52, is known as The Matchmaker UK and has seen such a change in her clients’ dating needs that her matchmaking methods are barely recognisable to those of two years ago. She says:

Face it, if the 2021 version of you could go back and explain everything to the 2019 version of you, how on earth would you begin? Before, on dates, we used to embrace each other and hold on tight for a bit. These days, we’ve been told to stand two metres away from each other, wear a mask, then sanitise our hands with gel before we touch hands, if we touch hands at all.