ASDA is offering customers flu vaccination jabs in all its stores as a one-off trial.

More than 35,000 doses of the vaccine will be available on Saturday, October 12 for £11.97, a saving of about £8 on the private cost, the company said.

Customers who fill in a questionnaire will be given the injection by a nurse.

They will then be handed a receipt to pay for the jab at the check-out with the rest of their shopping.

Asda claims it is the first time any supermarket has offered a medical service on such a large scale.

But Dr Ron Nixon, spokesman for the Harrogate area Primary Care Trust said: "Healthy people under 65 years of age do not usually need to be vaccinated. Flu is a nuisance for them, but is not usually more serious, and the occasional bout of flu is thought to give better long-term protection than a flu vaccination.

"Younger people should, however, encourage their older relatives and friends to have a flu vaccination," said Dr Nixon.

In the North-East, health services throughout the region have joined forces to encourage people over 65, those with health problems and those living in residential homes to get vaccinated against the flu this autumn.

In County Durham and Darlington, more than 100,000 over-65s are being contacted and posters, leaflets, bus adverts and radio stations will be used to get the message across.

Dr Deb Wilson, from County Durham and Darlington NHS, said: "If you have not had the jab or made arrangements to have it, you should contact your doctor's surgery."

The vaccination trial will take place between 10am and 6pm in all 256 Asda stores.