Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called Prime Minister Boris Johnson "juvenile" during an interview on Thursday's Good Morning Britain.
Speaking to hosts Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard, Nicola said it was "time for grown ups to be in charge" after the PM said Scotland would not have been able to procure the vaccine so fast alone.
Kate asked: "What about vaccines, Boris Johnson made the comment that if it was left to you and the SNP, there wouldn't be a vaccine, because it's about the clout of the United Kingdom that has been able to deliver it.
"And to be fair compared to the EU, we have been able to deliver vaccines quickly. "
Ms Sturgeon replied: "Look, that's a pretty juvenile comment at a time I think everybody wants to see grown ups in charge of the response to Covid.
"What happens in the UK is the four nations, Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland, we voluntarily agreed to procure vaccines together collectively.
"That does not mean that Scotland, if it chose to do it differently, could not procure vaccines, we are being sensible and grown up about it and choosing to do it this way because it makes sense."
Kate replied: "I suppose his point is that you're for a Union when it works for you and not necessarily at all times.
"I guess that's the point he's making, isn't it?"
Ms Sturgeon replied: "The point I was going to make is that it works for all of us.
"The independent countries of the European Union pull together to deal with certain things, that's sensible.
"The point I was going to make is if Scotland was independent - when Scotland is independent, as I think it will be - there are certain things it will still make sense to come together to do.
"That's how the modern interconnected internationalist world works."
"We should be trying to cooperate and work together," she added.
"Let's just make more of an effort when people are suffering so much, to rise above these frankly juvenile comments and raise above our games."
* Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV at 6am
