For anyone with a fear of needles, relief is coming your way this flu season.

It's called the intradermal flu vaccine, and it uses a needle much smaller than the traditional syringe. Health experts hope to not only ease the pain, but also encourage more people to get vaccinated.

It's enough to make some run from their doctor's office. Needles used to give flu vaccines are often an inch or even an inch-and-a-half long, but soon patients will have another option. "I think it's great that they finally did it because we really do need to keep people vaccinated," C&C Pharmacy's Consuelo Palutis said of the intradermal flu vaccine, "and that's the biggest fear people have is that needle."

Palutis says the new vaccination needle will be about the size of a lancet used for blood glucose testing. "The size of the needle that's going to be used for the intradermal flu vaccine is going to be 1.5 millimeters."

The traditional vaccine has to penetrate deep into the muscle, but the intradermal vaccine goes right under the skin, and the Centers For Disease Control says for adults 18-64 years old, it's just as effective with both a smaller needle and a smaller dose of vaccine.

Widespread interest in the vaccine means it could be scarce. Patients will not be able to get it at the Fayette County Health Department. "We have information, and we may be able to get some just to test, but there's not a lot of availability right now," Public Health Nursing Manager Lois Davis said.

"This one will be coming out the end of September according to the manufacturer, and it's available for purchasing at this time," Palutis said, "but they will be delivering sometime by the end of September. That's sort of their guess."

Once those supplies are available, health professionals hope many who may have avoided the flu shot in the past out of fear of the needle will feel at ease getting vaccinated.

The FDA has approved the intradermal flu vaccine for adults 18 to 64. The regular flu shot remains an option for those six months and older. The nasal spray vaccine is available for non-pregnant, healthy people ages two to 49.