Perry Says Pushing HPV Vaccine Was "Mistake"

When Texas Governor Rick Perry mandated that all girls in the state should receive a vaccine to protect them from human papillomavirus (HPV), which is known to lead to cervical cancer, the religious right grew angry and his stance, saying it would lead to promiscuity.

Now, Perry is winning them back by calling his position a "mistake."

Via the Washington Post:

Perry, who long defended the vaccine mandate, has reversed his position on the issue as he launches his GOP presidential bid, calling the order “a mistake” and saying he agrees with the Texas legislature’s decision to overturn it.

“The fact of the matter is that I didn’t do my research well enough to understand that we needed to have a substantial conversation with our citizenry,” Perry told reporters on the campaign trail over the weekend.

Of course, Perry's original stance was based less on protecting girls and more on the fact that a lobbyist for the vaccine was a friend and donor.  But I assume he's found a way to keep that relationship going despite his reversal.

This post was originally published at RH Reality Check, a site of news, community and commentary for reproductive health and justice