Scientists believe the patch, successfully tested on mice, could revolutionise pandemic control by allowing vaccines to be self-administered.
The patch can easily be used by someone with no medical training.
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After it is applied to the skin, the microneedles, each measuring just over half a millimetre, deliver the vaccine and simply dissolve away.
All that remains is a water-soluble backing that can safely be discarded.
Researcher Professor Mark Prausnitz, from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, says the dissolving microneedle patch could open up many new doors for immunisation programs by eliminating the need for trained personnel to carry out the vaccination.
