Influenza vaccination is an important issue for maintaining community health. But some people are reluctant to get vaccinated because of the pain. Researchers from the United States have found an alternative, a microneedle patch with tiny needles.

A research published in "The Lancet", by a team at Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, shows that the microneedle patch can inject a dose of flu vaccine into human body with 100 solid, water-soluble needles. It is a safe and relatively painless method to replace the traditional vaccination injection against flu.

The sticky patch provides simplicity, cost-effectiveness, acceptability and safety. It could eliminate the discomfort of immunisation using needles and syringes and the need for safe disposal of needles. The patch can also be applied by patients on their own which is stable for a year while storing at 40°C. Researchers say that the patch is particularly beneficial to providing vaccines to populations in developing countries.