Atlanta ? After taking off their shoes, emptying their pockets and passing through the security checkpoint, travelers at some major U.S. airports can now roll up a sleeve and get a flu shot.

For years, some airports have been offering flu shots to airline passengers before they cleared security. But many travelers were too afraid of missing their flights to stop.

So this year, airports in such cities as Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Newark, N.J., and San Francisco are setting up “airside” health stations close to the gates, past the security checkpoints.

The shots typically take just a few minutes and cost $15 to $35. So far, the airports in the five major cities have given out about 15,000 shots this season.