A British biotech company is preparing to test needle-free flu vaccines in clinical trials as an outbreak of the “super cold” grips the UK.

Enesi Pharma has teamed up with the National Institutes of Health in the US to test its ImplaVax device with a pandemic flu vaccine, with trials in animals due to begin before the end of the year.

The technology works by reformulating liquid vaccines into a tiny solid stick measuring 0.85mm in diameter and 3.5mm long, with a point at the end. The stick is inserted into the ImplaVax device, which injects it into the patient without a needle.

Enesi said the vaccine is designed to be pain-free, with the sensation described as being similar to a quick flick on the skin.

The vaccine can be stored for months in high temperatures, meaning it is suitable for vaccination programmes in developing countries with warmer climates.

It comes as GPs across the UK report a sharp spike in complaints from patients about a flu-like cold that has been nicknamed the “super cold”.

David Hipkiss, chief executive of Enesi, said the technology could help to boost the reach of vaccines and enable wider rollouts by healthcare providers

Mr Hipkiss said: “ImplaVax represents a potential paradigm shift in the deployment and reach of mass-immunisation programmes like those regularly undertaken for influenza.”

The Covid pandemic has forced health authorities and pharmaceutical companies to ramp up the development of treatments and infrastructure to make vaccines.

In August, Scancell, another UK biotech, announced plans to test its Covid vaccine in clinical trials using a needle-free device. The device, made by PharmaJet, differs from Enesi’s technology in that it penetrates the skin through a stream of fluid in a tenth of a second.

Britain’s jab rate has slowed in recent months, as misinformation campaigns about the vaccine on social media have hampered uptake. Experts believe that the introduction of needle-free jabs could help encourage people who are wary of vaccinations to get inoculated.

A study carried out by the University of Oxford in June found around a quarter of the 15,000 adults screened positive for potential needle phobia.

According to the study’s findings, those people who were wary of jabs were twice as likely to report being hesitant to get the Covid vaccine.

Enesi is working with several partners including large pharmaceutical companies, The Oxford Vaccine Group and the Gates Foundation across a range of diseases, including measles and flu.

It is scaling up manufacturing capacity, with equipment due to be installed at a UK site within the next few months.