The state Department of Public Health initially postponed vaccinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday of this week, but extended the suspension after consulting with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Connecticut and other states have stopped their smallpox vaccination programs to give federal officials time to investigate whether the vaccine played any role in three heart attack deaths in the country. The vaccine carries well-documented, serious risks, though heart disease had never been considered one of them.

The CDC told states Monday that it is now recommending that people with heart disease - or at risk of heart disease - refrain from vaccination. The CDC was sending out new forms to help states screen people for the vaccine.

Other states that have temporarily suspended smallpox vaccinations are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Nevada, New York, Vermont and Washington state.
President Bush began a smallpox vaccination campaign in December amid concerns about terrorist attacks. He ordered inoculations for 500,000 in the military, and urged health care workers and emergency responders to voluntarily accept vaccinations.

"We've postponed the clinics that have been scheduled," said William Gerrish, a spokesman for the Public Health Department. "We wanted to receive revised guidelines from the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which we did, and we're now reviewing that and integrating it into our program."

Statewide, 560 health workers have been vaccinated with no serious side effects reported, Gerrish said.