Israeli Health Ministry has signed its second deal with a pharmaceutical company for the purchase of A/H1N1 influenza vaccine, local daily the Jerusalem Post reported Sunday on its website. The deal, signed on Saturday with Swiss company Novartis, was approved by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Deputy Health Minister Ya'acov Litzman, said the report. The Health Ministry said it would consider signing deals with more companies according to needs, added the report. Earlier this month, the ministry signed its first agreement for A/H1N1 vaccine with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi Pasteur, preparing for the expected flu outbreak in winter. The deal with Pasteur would allow Israel to purchase vaccine worth of 7 million New Israeli Shekels (about 1.8 million U.S. dollars) after it was tested safe and approved by regulators. The novel flu has hit Israel with more than 2,100 people having been diagnosed with the flu virus so far and eight deaths reported. Israeli health experts have warned that about one quarter of the Israeli population, or over 1.5 million Israelis, would contract the virus during a possible outbreak this winter, among whom around 700 would die. The Israeli government has initiated a plan for precaution, including purchasing a large quantity of vaccines. 