Professor Luke O'Neill says signs are positive in other countries.
This year's winter flu season might not be as bad as feared, according to a leading expert.
His comments come as after it was announced that 750 thousand children will receive the flu vaccine for free this Autumn via a nasal drop.
The Irish Independent reports that car park clinics may be set up to help GPs roll out the service.
However, Professor Luke O'Neill from the school of Immunology at Trinity College Dublin says Australia, where it's winter time, isn't experiencing a bad season.
''In Australia there's very low flu, because the social distancing and the masks have decreased the flu as you might imagine, because it's respiratory and spreads just like Covid-19'', he said.
''So that's a good sign, maybe there'll be less flu in the winter because of all the things we're doing.
''But because it's a concern we have to be really really careful now to look at the flu very closely''.
Face shields not as effective, says WHO.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation says face shields do not provide the same protection from Covid-19 as masks.
It says the open gaps between the visor and face are a 'disadvantage'.
In new guidance, the WHO also says kids under five shouldn't wear face masks.
It says masks should only be used by children in school as part of a comprehensive strategy to limit the spread of Covid-19.
