Birmingham area hospitals are at or over the normal capacity due to a "major flu situation" in the area, health department officials said.

Area emergency departments and outpatient clinics are also seeing a high volume of patients with flu or flu-like illnesses, said Jefferson County Department of Health Officer Mark Wilson.

"This is not a pandemic flu situation, but it is a major seasonal flu situation," Wilson said.

The last major flu event in Birmingham was the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak, said Dr. Bernard Camins, healthcare epidemologist for the UAB Hospital system.

"We're feeling this is even worse than that last one," he said, noting this is the worst flu outbreak he's seen since he started working in healthcare 13 years ago.

Birmingham-area hospitals are also being affected by the reported IV bag shortage caused by hurricane damages to Puerto Rico, said Julie Cobb, who oversees emergency preparedness and response for Jefferson County Department of Health.

Cobb said state officials are meeting to discuss the shortage Thursday.

"They're urging providers, if they can, to do fluids by mouth, not just automatically doing IV fluids if the patient is able to take fluids by mouth," she said. "(The IV bag shortage) is a concern at this time as well."

Both hospital and health department officials are still urging residents to get the flu shot, as it could still protect people from certain strain of the flu or make the flu symptoms less severe and shorter if they get the flu.

The strain of the flu causing this increase in seasonal cases is the H3N2 strain, said Dr. Edward Khan, medical director of disease control for the Jefferson County Department of Health.

"Even though the protection offered for this current strain is less than we would like, it does offer some degree of protection. It could protect someone from getting the flu, or if they get the flu, they could have a milder course," Khan said.

He said they've also seen Type B flu and the H1N1 strain of the flu this year.

"Since we have seen those other strains in nursing homes and schools, we still strongly encourage people to get the flu shot," he said.

People with minor flu or flu-like symptoms should not go to emergency departments or hospitals to avoid over-stressing the medical resources, Wilson said.

"Our area hospitals are seeing an influx of patients that are seriously ill. If a person has a flu-like illness without signs of serious illness, (they) should remain at home," he said. "Call your doctor first if you are unsure."

He said most cases of the flu do not require hospitalization.