Not many Kiwis would pick Shortland Street's Dr Chris Warner as needlephobic.
But that's exactly what actor Michael Galvin had to contend with as he got his two Covid-19 vaccinations, and now he's sending a message to his fellow needlephobes that the jab really isn't that scary.
It comes as New Zealand begins its national day of vaccination - Super Saturday - with more than 550 vaccination sites open in the hope that more than 100,000 Kiwis get the jab as protection against the virus.
Galvin's aversion to needles has been long-running - something he's had to battle while working on the renowned medical drama for more than two decades.
In fact, Galvin's needlephobia became so strong, it caused him to faint in his very first scene when he returned to the show in 2000 after a small stint away.
"I was just so stressed about whether I would do a good job and that all added to it and they had all these needles and I passed out," Galvin confessed with a laugh.
"I ended up forcing myself to, in the middle of scenes, go up to the needle and pick it up and introduce myself to it as it were, just so I could get used to that involuntary reaction of repulsion and gradually it got a lot better."
While he had come a long way in his relationship with needles, Galvin said he still felt the nerves in line for his first Pfizer dose.
Fortunately, his 15-year-old daughter Lily was there to coach him through it, making jokes to ease the tension.
"I was the one who was really nervous and she was actually calming me down, she was very good.
"Having her there made it easier for me not to take those irrational feelings so seriously."
Filming had recently resumed for Galvin and his colleagues as they raced to replenish the bank of episodes which almost ran dry during alert level 4. All of the Shortland Street crew was at least partially vaccinated, according to Galvin.
However, the actor said many in his industry were feeling the squeeze of Covid restrictions and hoped his story would encourage others to muster their strength and get vaccinated.
"What I am trying to do is reach out to people who might feel ashamed or embarrassed that they're scared [of needles].
"It's OK, you're allowed to be scared, but really it's not a scary thing.
"You just need to get it done for you, for your family, and for people out there who are immunocompromised who can't get it done."
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