On Saturday, February 3, Texas Governor Rick Perry signed an executive order to make the newly-released human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine Gardasil mandatory for all young girls before entry into the sixth grade. Starting in the 2008-2009 school year, the new bill would allow parents to opt out of the vaccination if they provide documentation of religious or philosophical opposition. However, Perry (who has strong ties to Gardasil manufacturer Merck) hopes that most parents will see the vaccination as a necessary public health preventative measure, much like the polio vaccine when it was first introduced.