Sajid Javid has clashed with TV presenter Kay Burley in a "spiky" interview about mandatory vaccination for NHS staff.
The Health Secretary set a deadline of April 1 for unvaccinated health workers to get both doses of the Covid jab, after which it will become a "condition of employment".
Mr Javid had a testy exchange with the Sky News presenter on the plan after turning up late to an interview from the COP26 summit in Glasgow.
Ms Burley joked, "We lost you", at the start of the interview - and Mr Javid admitted he was "trying to find my way around".
There were queues of more than hour to get into the summit when it kicked off last week and it can take around 20 minutes to walk from one end of the site to the other.
Mr Javid did a round of broadcast interviews on Wednesday morning to explain his decision to make jabs compulsory for patient-facing NHS staff from next year.
The Department of Health and Social Care has already accepted there may be a “significant” hit to the health service workforce
A government impact statement estimated 126,000 health and care staff could refuse to be vaccinated under the policy - including 73,000 staff in the NHS in England.
Ms Burley questioned whether people should lose their jobs if they haven't had the jab - and said people could still pass on the virus even when they are double vaccinated.
Mr Javid retorted that people were less likely to pass on the virus if they have been inoculated.
The presenter hit back, saying there was still a 37% chance of passing on the virus if you have it, even if you are double jabbed.
Mr Javid said there was no such thing as "perfection" but Ms Burley replied: "With all due respect Health Secretary, come on."
He said: "We don't live a risk-free world. This virus, we are learning about it all the time and it's our duty to make sure we are doing everything we can, using all the tools we have to protect people.
"What yesterday's announcement was about was protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society."
He added: "I'm not pretending, nobody is, that you have a 100% method of protecting them but what you can do is reduce the chances of them becoming infected."
Ms Burley said: "A 37% chance is still pretty high though isn't it?"
Mr Javid interrupted: "What would you like Kay, a 100% chance?"
She said: "I was about to go on, if I may."
Mr Javid retorted: "37% chance, you say it's quite high but I tell you 80 or 90% chance is a lot higher.
"I think your viewers will understand that this is about minimising the risk."
He said families would want to know that vulnerable people in hospitals or care homes are not being infected by those caring for them.
Ms Burley replied: "If I can jump in at some stage and say, I was going to go on to say why not test..."
Mr Javid cut in again: "I'm only doing what you normally do but carry on."
At the end of the interview, Ms Burley said "that was a bit spiky of us both" and Mr Javid joked, "you like spiky".
