Flu Patch being developed as alternative to shot

Patch is nearly painless but still effective

If you HATE getting a flu shot, you might like the flu PATCH.

In fact, during testing, 76-percent of people preferred the patch to the shot.

The flu patch is still in development and undergoing testing, so it's not on the market yet.

The patch has dozens of tiny needles, but most people said they could barely feel them, because they don't penetrate the skin deeply enough to hit any nerve endings to cause pain.

But if it does get approved, doctors say it would be easy for people to "self-administer" the patch, right in their own home, unlike a syringe which can be difficult for the average person to use correctly.

Doctors say studies show the patch is even more effective than the shot, and they say because it's easier, they're hoping more people will get vaccinated against the flu.

More than half of Americans skip their yearly flu shot, putting them at risk of getting sick.