Putin says he will delay taking Russian coronavirus vaccine because it hasn’t been fully tested on his age group

Russian President Vladimir Putin, 68, said Thursday he is unsure about taking the coronavirus vaccine himself, citing the lack of testing done on those in his age group.

Putin made the remarks during a press conference, Bloomberg reports, as production of Russia’s vaccine, Sputnik V, has been stalled due to lack of equipment.

“I’ll do it as soon as it becomes possible,” Putins said

Sputnik V has reportedly been approved for use in people up to 60 years old, and a few Russian officials older than 60 are known to have received the medicine. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, 65, and leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Vladimir Zhirinovsky, 74, were both immunized on national television.

Despite his own reservations, Putin was not shy when he announced in August that Russia had approved the world’s first coronavirus vaccine. Though evidence has been promising so far, experts have criticized the speed at which the vaccine was approved, after it was granted authorization after only two months of human testing.

Soon after the vaccine was authorized, Putin shared that one of his adult daughters had gotten it.

“She has taken part in the experiment,” he said. ““She’s feeling well and has high number of antibodies.”

During the press briefing, Putin also took the opportunity to boast of Russia’s resilient economy, which he claimed had only contracted by 3.6 percent during the pandemic.

“That’s less than all leading countries in Europe and the European Union, less than the U.S,” said Putin.

Bloomberg notes that as the world’s largest energy exporter, Russia fared better than expected thanks to industries continuing to work through the pandemic and having a smaller service sector than most Western countries.