Coast host Jason Reeves said the decision to get vaccinated against Covid 19 started at home. Photo / Supplied
Jason Reeves is a self-confessed needle-phobe and "quite a wuss" but that didn't stop him from getting vaccinated against Covid 19.
For the Coast presenter, the decision started at home.
"My wife has quite bad asthma and our two boys get quite bad asthma as well. Normally every winter at least one of them goes down quite badly with respiratory illnesses and things. For me, hearing how bad Covid can affect people, it was a no brainer.
"I've got to protect the ones I love the most."
Now he's encouraging Kiwis to get vaccinated as part of The 90% Project being run by the Herald in a bid to see 90 per cent of the eligible population immunised by Christmas.
Reeves said he also took into account co-hosts Toni Street, who has an auto-immune disorder, and Sam Wallace, who has baby twins, and said he felt responsible for making sure they were safe around him.
But the bigger picture was not lost on him either.
"Then you look around at some of the things that are happening because we're in lockdown and there are businesses who are really struggling.
"Who knows what Christmas is going to look like now? School holidays, who knows? At least I can do my part.
"As New Zealanders, maybe it's just me, I get cabin fever quite bad. I like to go out and do some things and see some things.
"It's tough seeing people around you who are really broken right now because of the lockdowns and because we don't have the freedom because there are just too many risks."
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Reeves said getting the vaccination was a "huge step" for him because he was a "needle-phobe".
"I was really nervous because I get the flu jab every time and sometimes you get a sore arm afterwards and I was like, 'oh no'. I'm quite a wuss. This time was okay. I didn't really feel too much," he said.
To those who were still a little hesitant about getting vaccinated, Reeves suggested talking to experts you trust, like your GP.
"Do your research, talk to people you really trust, talk to professionals who don't have an agenda. My doctor advised me it was something I should do so I took her advice and based it on my family, what I want to do like travelling and the people I work with too.
"So get some advice and please, please, if you can, go and get the jab. If we can get to 90 per cent we're going to have a few more freedoms."
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