is "nightline." >> tonight, we're with the covid-19 vaccine skeptics. >> for all i know, there's things that i wouldn't want to put in my bloodstream. >> concerned about the dose of hope. how a group of republican lawmakers are helping change minds. >> ready, one, two, three. >> and as the fda approves the pfizer vaccine for children ages 12 and up, where america now stands on the path to herd immunity. plus body positivity model tess holaday saying she is battling a form of anorexia. >> i was literally starving. >> challenging what a eating disorder looks like. >> you can't look at someone and tell whether or not they're healthy. you just can't.

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thanks for joining us. tonight, another dose of hope for children ages 12 to 15. the fda authorizing the emergency use of the pfizer vaccine. but not everyone is welcoming the news.

anti-vaxxers, skeptical about the doses despite the science. how they're hesitancy may endanger america's path to herd immunity. here is abc's trevor alt. >> i don't think the government should be pushing anything medical on people. i don't want to go around every street corn seeing signs to get something medically pushed or every time you open up social media, there is something medical there. >> reporter: what abigail edwards says she values is freedom, the right to choose how she takes care of her family. the young mother of three raising her family of three outside raleigh, north carolina. she is a devout christian and conservative. >> i believe that we are intricately created, and the things that we need have been provided to us by god. >> reporter: and she is one of millions of republicans reluctant to get vaccinated for covid-19 and deeply suspicious of all three vaccines currently available in the u.s. do you think there would be

downsides to getting the vaccine? >> potentially, because we just don't know enough about it. we don't know the long-term effects of it. there is a list of adverse events that can happen. you can do that with any vaccines. >> the vaccines have all been through a rigorous authorization process that included extensive clinical trials showing their effectiveness and safety. >> what are the risks of getting vaccinated? very low. what are the risks of not getting vaccinated? very high when it comes to covid-19. >> and though millions and millions of republicans have already willingly been vaccinated, the pandemic has shown america's deep political divisions have fully permeated public health issues. >> i think it's pretty clear that one of the root causes of the vaccine hesitancy among republicans in particular is the fact that the entire covid-19 pandemic has been politically weaponized since trump's presidency. whether it was wearing a plamas, whether it was socially distancing, now it's vaccines

which is just responsible behavior. >> an ongoing research project by the kaiser family foundation found 20% of republicans will dfinitely not get the vaccine, more than any other demographic group. and while 58% of adults have received at least one dose of the covid-19 vaccine, the vaccination rate in the united states has already slowed significantly. last week less than two million doses were administered per day, the lowest since march. 100 million adults are eligible for the vaccine and haven't gotten it yet. and the downturn is potentially jeopardizing the goal of herd immunity, creating the risk the virus continues to circulate through the general population for years to come. >> the urge to vaccinate a significant percentage or a majority of the population really is twofold. yes, it has to do with protecting you as an individual, but it also is important for protecting those around you. this is really not just about

you, but it's about others as well. >> reporter: but maybe the greater good isn't strong enough itself. across the country, there are new incentives. >> you get your shot on tuesday, whether it be a covid vaccine and i will give you a beer. >> reporter: sites offering free beer, free donuts, each free baseball tickets. but health officials may have an uphill battle to reach some conservative holdouts where vaccine hesitancy in many forms is at times fueled by prominent republicans like kentucky senator and physician rand paul. >> do you know why people don't trust the government? because the government is saying oh, no, everyone is the same. whether you've had the disease or not, you have to be vaccinated. >> reporter: senator paul has not been vaccinated. he contracted covid at the very beginning of the pandemic, and a spokesperson tells abc news dr. paul has developed an immune defense to the virus, which is the same goal and result of the vaccine. >> being naturally infected with covid absolutely does give some degree of immune protection.

it's not as strong as that which we get with the vaccine. >> reporter: and fox news host tucker carlson broadcasting misleading information about the vaccine to his millions of viewers without saying if he got vaccinated himself. >> vaccine misinformation literally can be the difference between life and death for people. misinformation, disinformation can cost people their lives. and if it's not your life directly, it could be someone that you love. >> reporter: do you think that misinformation is a problem? >> oh, yeah. i definitely think misinformation is a problem. i am very careful to share things that are solidly founded. i don't want to just shoot things off because i'm very much a person of truth and integrity. >> reporter: at what point if you were to get sick, at what point would you say maybe i actually should go to a doctor? >> okay, so first off, we do have an incredible chiropractor. so he is very trained in our body and in nutrients and stuff like that. so honestly, he is our first call.

we go there first. if my kids spike a fever or if my kid is acting off, that's our first resort. >> reporter: does your chiropractor have a medical degree? >> he has several degrees on his walls. >> i'll be giving your shot. >> reporter: congressman and doctor bra wenstrop has a medical degree and is trying to combat the misinformation and fear surrounding the vaccine firsthand. >> you ready? one, two, three. and yes done. >> reporter: an army veteran who served in the iraq war on this day his mission is personally administering the johnson & johnson vaccine at uc health's vaccination center in cincinnati. >> it was an important message from the congressional side and the physician side to say corners weren't cut. actually, more people were in these trials than most drugs have. corners weren't cut. bureaucracy was cut. red tape was cut and sped up. >> reporter: every shot that the

congressman administers is one less person likely to get sick and die from covid-19. >> just last friday, as i was getting the data for the greater cincinnati area, you know, where i serve and represent, we had 142 people in the hospital with covid. not one of them had been vaccinated. tht tells you almost everything that you want to know. >> the vaccines that we have right now are working from what you're seeing? >> they are working. there is no doubt about it. we're seeing the numbers drop. people say what's the vaccine going to do long-term? i will tell you, i'm concerned about what the virus is going to do long-term. >> reporter: winstrop is thecah >> as more americans are vaccinated, we can get back to things that are important to us. >> reporter: encouraging millions of americans, conservative or otherwise to get vaccinated. >> talk to your doctor. get all the information you need and decide which vaccine is best

for you. >> reporter: why do you think the hesitancy is so high among that group? >> that's tough to say. in some regards, some people have felt like their freedoms have been taken from them. republicans and democrats and - independents. >> reporter: and other republicans are also publicly promoting the vaccine. last week ivanka trump posted she had received her second dose writing that getting fully vaccinated is the best way to end this pandemic and protect ourselves and one another. and former vice president mike pence even getting his shot on live tv last december while still in office. and president trump's administration launched operation warp speed, which helped develop the life-saving vaccines, a success of his term. >> it's called operation warp speed. that means big and that means fast. >> we did something that is really considered a medical miracle. they're calling it a miracle, and that was the vaccine. >> reporter: but some say the

former president sent mixed messages about the vaccine. >> even though he went ahead and got the vaccine himself, he did it in silence, when he should have done it publicly. that would have been the responsible thing to do. and a lot of his followers, a lot of his supporters would have probably followed in his footsteps. we lost crucial time in getting that into people's mind-set that it's okay and safe to take the vaccine. >> reporter: you are at peace now with your family not being vaccinated? >> yeah, i'm at peace with that. >> you got your sticker? you had your shot? >> reporter: still, congressman winstrop is undaunted, that despite any difference of opinion, he believes the country can work together to end the pandemic. >> well, i am hopeful that people see more of that and people feel good about the fax that they've gotten their vaccination. we give them the stickers just like voting. i voted today. i got vaccinated today. and so i see that there's a lot of pride and relief for a lot of people. as one person said, i got some armor on now.

>> our thanks to trevor. coming up, one model's battle with an eating disorder, and her message to body shamers. oh, i've traveled all over the country. talking about saving with geico. but that's the important bit, innit? showing up, saying “hello! fancy a nice chat?” then we talk like two old friends about sticky buns and all the savings you could get by bundling your home and car insurance. but here's the real secret. eye contact. you feel that? we just had a moment. [chuckles] who would've thought it? geico. save even more when you bundle home and car insurance. i thought i was getting my floors clean. and then i learned my mop could be loaded with bacteria. so, i got a swiffer wetjet to get a cleaner... clean the spray breaks down dirt and the pad absorbs it deep inside. buh bye. try wetjet with a money-back guarantee. age is just a number. and mine's unlisted. try boost® high protein

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>> gorgeous. thank you. >> reporter: model tess holliday. known for her bright red hair and body positivity. she has amassed over two million follow owners instagram, and major brand partnerships. but below the surface, tess says she has been suffering with an eating disorder. >> i wasn't taking care of myself in the way i needed. i wasn't looking after my mental health in the ways that i should have. i was always making sure everyone else's cup was full and i wasn't filling my own. so i think that's how i went so long without really being able to address, you know, myself an >> reporter: the 35-year-old mother of two says her decades long disordered eating caught up to her in the last year. >> i would go all day without eating. and i would chalk it up to i'm busy. i'm this. but the thing is, i had hunger pain all day, and i was sick all day. oh, i'm busy. i'm a mom, i'm this.

i'm working. i'll eat later. i'll eat later. but later never happened. and then at nighttime, you know, usually when my kids were in bed and coy settle, i would eat one meal, and then i would go to bed. >> reporter: holliday sought help and now says she has a form of anorexia, a revelation that has received some support, as well as anger and skepticism. >> i am plus-sized, but advocating for diversity and larger bodies and so i think for people hearing me say i'm anorexic was really jarring and hard and confusing. i've had a lot of messages from folks that are anorexic that are livid and angry because they feel like i'm lying. >> what do you want to say to people who don't believe you, who are skeptical when you say you're anorexic? >> to folks that don't believe me, you know, that i'm anorexic and this is what i'm dealing

with, it doesn't really matter because at the end of the day, this is my truth. if this resonates with you, if you need help, get help. if this helps you feel less alone, great. it's so much more powerful just to say hey, i'm hurting, and if you're hurting too, that's okay. you know? you don't have to do this alone. >> tess having the willingness to speak out about her experience acknowledging some of the backlash that she's receiving is an indication of extraordinary bravery and an indication of, you know, her health and healing and some of her process. >> tess confided in the counsel of anna sweeney, specializing in eating orders who says tess has atypical anorexia. >> atypical anorexia, which would imply the same physiological characteristics of anorexia nervosa, except for body size accounts for anywhere between 2 and 4% of the population. >> tess says it was her

psychologist who initially diagnosed her, a shock even for the model. >> i told the psychologist, well, i won't eat all day, you know. i'll maybe have coffee or maybe i'll have, you know, a handful of whatever is around me. and then at nighttime, i'll have my meal or snacks or whatever. so i thought that that meant that i was a binge eater, and the psychologist looked at me and said you're anorexic. and then i just started crying. >> she says online hate played into her struggles. >> yeah, i am a model, right? i am successful. i've been doing this for a long time. i've been talking about, you know, self-acceptance and loving yourself and fat acceptance for [ bleep ] long time. but i still deal with it. i still get people that make me feel like [ bleep ]. and that's okay. because unfortunately, it's

going to take a long time to change society's ridiculous standards. i have had people shouting at me my entire career that i do is sit around and eat, and i was starving. i was literally starving. and i didn't realize that that meant that i was anorexic. i didn't realize that i was mindfully restricting not eating. >> you're saying you weren't purposely not eating in order to be skinny. >> if you're anorexic, it's a purposeful thing. i think i was almost punishing myself. >> and how long do you feel like you've been purposely punishing yourself? >> i've had an eating disorder since when my mom almost died when i was 10. that's when it happened. so from the age of 10 until now, i've struggled with disordered eating, with restrictive eating for the past decade. >> eating disorders certainly do not occur for one simple reason. there are a million things that can go right for a person and

one thing goes wrong. and eating disorder comes to fruition. and so certainly trauma can be an initiating factor. >> reporter: eating disorders are extremely common, and may affect one in every ten people. according to a study, about 9% of the u.s. population, almost 29 million people will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. >> there is nothing but messaging that comes from the world that says the worst thing that can happen to you is you might live in a fat body. so if everyone is efforting to be smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, smaller, and we know that's just not possible for most people. >> you can't look at someone and tell whether or not they're healthy. you just can't. i understand that people look at me and i don't fit what we have seen presented as the diagnosis for anorexia. but then for me, that tells me that there is a larger problem, which i've been actually saying for years is that we have a lack

of diversity and representation in the world. >> now in recovery, tess says she is on a healthier path, which for her includes three meals a day and a focus on the future. >> i have been happier in the last six months through my recovery than i've been in my entire life. i feel whole. i feel at peace. i really feel in my power for the first time. up next, the special moment behind this meeting of two mothers. truthfully, it's frustrating to see how fast dust reappears. but dusting with a cloth is a pain. and dealing with a bulky vacuum.. . is such a hassle. uchhh!!! so now we use our swiffer sweeper and dusters. the fluffy fibers? they pick up dust easily. grabbing it in all those hard-to-reach places. gotcha!!! and for our floors, sweeper's textured cloths

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a little preparation will make you and your family safer in an emergency. batteries and first aid kit are a good start to learn more, visit safetyactioncenter.pge.com and finally tonight, a mother's love. you're watching a bonding moment between two mothers. kiki the gorilla and emily austen, the tourist of jefferson, maine. emily visiting the franklin park zoo in boston with her 5-year-old son canyon. kiki seemingly entranced by baby

canyon looking lovingly at the strange little creature, sharing a bond only a mother can appreciate. maternal instincts. that's "nightline." you can watch all our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.