Texas Gov. Rick Perry did a quick backpedal on his controversial 2007 attempt to required young girls to get the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine.

The Texas Tribune reports that Perry issued an executive order requiring girls entering the sixth grade to get the vaccine against HPV, which is the main cause of cervical cancer and most common STD. Parents were given a way to opt out (which frankly makes it sound not-all-that-mandatory). Perry was “dogged by accusations that he was close to Merck, at the time the sole manufacturer of the vaccine,” and in the end the order was overturned by the Texas legislature. He stood stolidly by his decision … until he announced his candidacy for president. Then he started backing away from the issue, saying he made a mistake on the issue and that he agreed with the legislature.

“Rick Perry initially did the right thing for women’s health with regards to an important vaccine against cervical cancer, and he has flip-flopped, cowering to the Republican primary base,” The Tribune quotes State Rep. Jane Farr, (D) as saying.

The Tribune also reports that Perry was formerly content to leave issues like gay marriage and abortion to the states. Since being criticized by Christian conservatives, “Perry has since begun stressing the need for federal constitutional bans on both gay marriage and abortion.”

So he’s either good at the quick about-face … or sometimes he’s just got two of them.