Fri Mar 28, 2:44 PM ET

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By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - A 55-year-old National Guardsman died this week from a heart attack, the Pentagon (news - web sites) said Friday, in the third such death following a smallpox vaccination.

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The Defense Department is now joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (news - web sites) in deferring people with heart disease from the vaccinations until any possible relationship can be investigated, said Dr. Bill Winkenwerder, assistant secretary of defense for health-related affairs.

Winkenwerder said the soldier also smoked and had high cholesterol, and an autopsy showed that he had coronary disease.

Because of those findings, Winkenwerder said, it appears unlikely that the vaccine was the cause of death.

The man suffered the heart attack on Tuesday and died Wednesday, Winkenwerder said.

CDC issued a warning after two people died of heart attacks and cardiac problems were seen in 17 others who had been inoculated.

The smallpox vaccine has never been associated with heart trouble, but CDC officials said Thursday there was some evidence the vaccine played a role in heart inflammation.

Florida halted the vaccinations Friday, citing the heart problems. New York did so earlier.

Winkenwerder said the military has had few serious side effects from the vaccine program. Two cases of encephalitis had been reported previously. So far about 300,000 military personnel have been vaccinated, he said, with the aim of reaching about 500,000.

He said there have been about 10 cases of heart inflammation reported in those vaccinated but none was severe. Some people have been hospitalized for one to three days and then returned to duty. Those cases involved people in their 20s and 30s, he said.

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