Houston's chief medical officer reassured people that the city's recent measles case is no cause for alarm, emphasizing the importance of vaccination as the best preventive measure. Dr. David Persse explained that the isolated case involved an unvaccinated individual who had traveled internationally. "This is what we see from time to time here in Houston," he stated, clarifying that this case has no connection to the situation in Central West Texas. Dr. Persse addressed vaccine hesitancy by acknowledging that while the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine carries minimal risks like potential allergic reactions, these risks are far outweighed by the dangers of contracting measles. He described measles as "a miserable illness" with very high fevers that can lead to serious complications, including death in approximately 1 in 1,000 cases and permanent neurological damage, most commonly deafness, in another 1 in 1,000 cases. "There isn't a no-risk option," Dr. Persse emphasized. "You need to decide what is the greater risk."