Flu concerns for holiday travelers

New Haven (WTNH) - If you're one of the five million traveling on the rails or in the sky what are you bringing with you? Luggage is fine, but the flu isn't.

As airport and train stations become hubs for massive crowds, making sure they don't become massive outbreaks for the flu is a concern for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"(I) hope that the person who's sick isn't sitting next to me," said Amy Agranov of East Haven.

Watching where you're going over the next few days may be replaced with watching your fellow travelers -- seeing who's sick and who's spreading germs.

"I think that if you take all of the necessary precautions, constantly washing your hands, keeping to yourself, you should be fine," Marisa Dooner of New Haven said.

So what's the problem with everyone traveling this Thanksgiving holiday? According to the CDC it's all about a seasonal bump in flu-related cases that they see after the holiday. With everyone traveling Wednesday and the swine flu/H1N1 virus spreading, they fear that the modest bump they see may be bigger than expected.

"I've had my flu shot, not the swine flu," Agranov said. " I hope they cough the other way."

The CDC offers a defensive approach when dealing with other travelers. Getting a vaccination before you travel among the advice. It's advice Tom Bartlett of Norwalk is heeding and hoping is enough.

"I always carry some hand sanitizer at all times and I always cough into my elbow," he said. "That's how i was taught."