By Dave Sebastian 



  Beckton Dickinson and Co. said it has entered a public-private partnership with the U.S. government for a $70 million project to make injection devices needed for Covid-19 vaccines. 


  The company said the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority will invest about $42 million into the project to expand BD's operations and manufacturing capacity in Nebraska. The agency would then have priority access to injection devices, such as syringes and needles, needed for mass vaccination efforts for Covid-19 and future pandemics, BD said. 


  BD said it has finalized the first order for 50 million needles and syringes to be delivered by the end of December for the government's Covid-19 vaccination effort. It said it will work with the government to finalize additional quantities needed to support Operation Warp Speed, a government program that aims to provide Covid-19 vaccines by January. 


  The company said it doesn't expect orders in the partnership to affect its ability to fulfill existing requirements for usual injections such as flu vaccines and childhood immunizations. It also said it seeks priority access to raw materials under the Defense Production Act. 


  Write to Dave Sebastian at dave.sebastian@wsj.com