Perry’s Wife Cheered HPV Drive

Rick Perry’s push to immunize girls in Texas against HPV has been seized upon by his opponents, and some have speculated that his motivation had to do with his political ties to the manufacturer of the vaccine. But could it have been his wife who convinced him of its merits? The New York Times looks at Anita Perry, a nurse, advocate for victims of sexual assault, and a proponent of immunizations. She has touted Perry’s HPV drive in speeches at women’s health summits, and Freedom of Information requests show Perry forwarding her emails supportive of the vaccination push. Perry has also claimed that Anita was key in pushing him into the presidential race; she opened his Des Moines headquarters on Tuesday.