News 8 Austin
Monday, February 5, 2007

A powerful ally of Gov. Rick Perry wants him to rescind his order requiring girls to be vaccinated against the virus that causes cervical cancer.

Perry issued an executive order Friday requiring girls to be vaccinated against the sexually transmitted HPV, or human pappilomavirus.

But today, state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, said lawmakers should have been allowed to hear from doctors, scientists and patients before the state implemented such a sweeping mandate. Nelson chairs the state Senate's health and human services committee.

“This is not an emergency. It needs to be discussed and debated,'' Nelson said.

The Legislature has no authority to repeal Perry's executive order, but Nelson said she plans to ask state Attorney General Greg Abbott for an opinion on the legality of Perry's order.

Some conservatives have said they fear that the requirement that girls get the vaccine would condone premarital sex.

Perry's order would make Texas the first state in the nation to mandate HPV vaccinations for girls. No comment yet from his office.