Flu shots available at some U.S. airports

Airports in Chicago, Denver, Atlanta and several other U.S. cities are offering flu shots to fliers.

The airports are joining grocery and drug stores across the nation in offering the immunizations without the need for appointments, USA Today reported Tuesday.

"This is great for people who don't have 'normal' lives," said Joanne Canyon-Heller, a frequent traveler who works as coordinator for graduate admissions at Chicago's Roosevelt University. She was one of the first to receive the shots at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends that everyone receive the shots early in the flu season, preferably in October or November. The U.S. supply of the flu vaccine is sufficient to meet the demand, unlike in past years when the vaccines had to be rationed.

"We plan on getting flu shots every year, but we never know if they'll be available," traveler Joe Tumbler said. "This was frighteningly convenient, reasonably priced, very quick and friendly. It couldn't have been easier," he said of the vaccine service at O'Hare.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International