NICOLA Sturgeon has blasted Douglas Ross for "talking down Scotland's vaccination programme for political purposes" at a student debate last night.
The SNP and Tory leaders clashed at the NUS Scotland Election Debate.
Ross claimed the vaccine rollout had been delivered thanks to the UK and asked: "Over 60% of Scots are now protected by the first dose of the vaccine. What's the highest percentage [of population vaccinated] of an independent country in the EU?"
A heated Sturgeon said the question was irrelevant as Scotland could still have procured vaccines with the rest of the UK even after independence.
She added: "You're missing the point. It's irrelevant and I'm going to tell you why it's irrelevant, but let me also remind you that at the start of this year, when you were wrongly saying that the vaccination programme in Scotland was running behind the rest of the UK.
"You were claiming that it was the Scottish Government's vaccination programme. Now that it's doing really well you are claiming it's the UK Government's vaccination programme. Make your mind up.
"The UK chose to procure in the way that it did and you're saying it couldn't have done that and Scotland couldn't have chosen to do that with the other UK nations had we been a member of the EU. That is quite simply not true. We procured the vacine in the same way every year as we procure the flu vaccine.
READ MORE: Landmark moment as more than half of Scots given first dose of Covid vaccine
Sturgeon went on: "You don't need to tell me how many people are being vaccinated with the first dose - I spend every day overseeing the programme so stop talking down our vaccination programme for political purposes."
Anas Sarwar then cut in to sarcastically accuse the two of being a "good example to children and young people across the country".
Sturgeon hit back at Sarwar, saying "all this sitting on the fence on everything might be good for a while but sooner or later in politics you have to decide which side you're on".
Ross Greer from the Greens and LibDem Carole Ford were also present at the debate.
Nicola Sturgeon tearing Douglas Ross apart on the #BigStudentDebate 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ETuFqQ0gKT
— indy swim 🏴 (@indy_swim) April 20, 2021
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