A safety needle for automatically covering a tip of a needle following removal of the needle from a patient is provided. The safety needle includes an injection device and a packing sleeve. The injection device has an initial position and an intermediate position. The packing sleeve has a generally hollow body surrounding at least a portion of the injection device in the initial position and the intermediate position. The hollow body includes at least one track having an activation leg and a releasing leg. The at least one track is configured to slidingly engage with at least one member of the injection device to move the injection device to the intermediate position. The packing sleeve is removable from the injection device only when the injection device is in the intermediate position.