Vaccinated? Swipe right. The latest initiative of the UK government to encourage people to get vaccinated targets the under-30s looking for love on online dating apps.

Starting on Monday, users of some of the most popular apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Match, OkCupid and Badoo will be able to add a sticker to their profile signaling they've been vaccinated against COVID-19.

A recent poll from YouGov showed that 59 percent of adults in the UK would either prefer their date to be vaccinated or would not date an unvaccinated person.

According to data collected by OkCupid, more than eight in 10 users in the UK say they will get the COVID-19 vaccine and people on the platform who are planning to get it or already have, are getting 15 percent more likes and 14 percent more matches than those who present themselves as unvaccinated or prefer not to share the information.

More than four in 10 British respondents said they would cancel a date with someone who didn't want to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Beside better chances to get a date with a potential match, users who add their vaccination status to their profile will also receive a series of benefits and bonuses including credits and free boosts to promote their profile.

The partnership, sponsored by the UK's Department of Health, is not the first of its kind around the world: the U.S. launched a similar initiative in May, linking up with apps including Tinder, OKCupid and Plenty of Fish. 

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said he was "thrilled that we are partnering up with dating apps to boost vaccine uptake across the country."

The UK will start administering the vaccine to under-30s this week, but has not formally given the green light to casual dating, as it recommends a "cautious" approach to meeting friends and family.

Those aged under 40 in the UK are being offered an alternative to the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine after rare cases of blood clots were linked to getting the jab.

_{Cover image: Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP}