While Spokane’s public health district is offering a big swine flu vaccination clinic today at the Spokane Arena, the agency’s counterpart in North Idaho said it took just five hours to fill all 1,500 appointments available for vaccinations in North Idaho.

The Panhandle Health District offered its 1,500 doses of H1N1 vaccine by appointment to people in highest-risk groups.

Phone lines opened at 9 a.m. Thursday and all appointments were filled by 2 p.m., the health district said in a news release Friday.

“Demand for the vaccine was so heavy that eight to 10 appointment lines stayed busy constantly and some callers waited more than 30 minutes on hold for an open operator,” the release said.

The Panhandle district won’t offer additional clinics until the agency gets more vaccine later this fall.