Former Lord Mayor and GP John Sheehan is urging people to get the flu vaccine which is available in pharmacies and GPs at the moment.

Dr Sheehan said there were a lot more viral and respiratory illnesses currently and they are hitting people hard.

“Not everything is Covid, but people are getting tested and while they have the all-clear they are still out of work for over a week.

“It can be hard to distinguish and that can cause confusion. The Covid hygiene guidelines, such as keeping your distance and washing your hands, will help protect people from flu also.” 

The Fianna Fáil councillor reminded people that flu is a serious illness and in some cases it is fatal.

“Flu kills 500 people a year in Ireland and some of them are young people. 

"It's not to be taken for granted.” 

Dr Sheehan encouraged people to avail of the flu vaccine to avoid a “perfect storm” situation of contracting the flu and then Covid.

The doctor warned of the deadly cocktail of flu and Covid which could prove fatal.

“It’s important to get the message out there that just because we didn’t have flu last year doesn’t mean we are not going to have none this year.”