An influx of patients with the flu is causing overcrowding at UHNBC this week.

Northern Health spokeswoman Eryn Collins said not every patient at the hospital is in a room at the moment, but that regardless of where patients are located in the facility they are getting treated for their illnesses.

"At certain times of the year we end up with more patients than we have proper rooms for," Collins said. "[The current situation is] a direct result of an early, harsher-than-usual flu season."

The flu, which has hit hard across North America for the last month, can be deadly especially for high-risk groups like the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, people with chronic illnesses and Aboriginal people.

Northern Health is encouraging those who have yet to receive the flu shot to get the vaccine. It's offered for free to high-risk groups and for a fee for the rest of the population.

Other ways to prevent the spread of the disease include proper hand washing technique - washing for at least 20 seconds - and staying home from work or school when flu symptoms are present.

According to the latest data from the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, in Northern Health this year's flu outbreak is above the 75th percentile over the last 10 years based on the number of cases.

Earlier this week the federal government released part of its supply of the flu treatment Tamiflu from its emergency stockpile due to shortages in some parts of the country. Collins said she wasn't aware of any drug shortages in the Northern Health region.