SARANAC LAKE — Vehicles lined up on the approach to the North Country Community College gym Thursday. The people inside had appointments, which hadn’t always been easy to get. This was a hot ticket — a vaccine to protect them against the coronavirus that has already killed more than 500,000 Americans and 2.5 million worldwide.

The Essex and Franklin County health departments teamed up to stage the vaccine clinic on North Country Community College’s Saranac Lake campus. The appointments for the initial 400 doses filled up shortly after the Essex County Health Department announced the event Tuesday. More doses were announced Wednesday evening, and they filled up, too.

The vaccine doses for the Saranac Lake clinic were set aside for eligible essential workers and people with preexisting health conditions. Anyone over the age of 65 is also eligible to be vaccinated, but public health officials suggested they contact a local pharmacy to make an appointment instead of coming to the NCCC clinic. Health care workers can get vaccinated at local facilities such as those run by Adirondack Health in Saranac Lake.