do i need virus protection on my MacBook

No.

There are no Mac viruses (malware that self propagates). There are plenty of Trojans (malware the user has to install in some manner). No AV software can stop those, making AV software totally useless.

About the only use AV software has is catching Windows malware - usually as email attachments - so you don't accidentally forward them to your Windows using contacts. But that's what they have AV software on their end for.