Watch Gov. Greg Abbott get the COVID-19 vaccine live at 1:30 p.m. Central time

Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day’s latest updates. Sign up here.

Gov. Greg Abbott is set to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin. The event will be televised by KVUE.

Abbott said Thursday he planned to take vaccine “at the appropriate time.”

“I wanted to make sure that the health care workers … will be the first to receive it, but yes, I will be receiving the vaccine at the appropriate time,” Abbott said during a news conference.

Health groups lauded Abbott’s decision to be publicly vaccinated, saying his leadership is needed to instill confidence in the vaccine.

“People need to see we can make Texas strong against the coronavirus if we all take these preventive measures to protect ourselves and others. The governor is leading by example by getting the shot,” the Texas Medical Association said in a statement.

Texas is set to receive 1.4 million total vaccine doses by the end of the month. Vaccines began arriving in Texas last week, and health care workers began receiving injections immediately.

The state previously outlined that “first tier” recipients of the vaccine include hospital-based workers who have direct contact with patients, staff of nursing homes or other long-term care facilities who work directly with residents, home health aides who manage “vulnerable and high-risk” patients, and emergency medical service providers such as paramedics and ambulance drivers.

The “second tier” of health care workers who were also prioritized by the state to for vaccinations include those who interact with patients in outpatient settings such as doctors’ offices, workers in freestanding emergency rooms and urgent care clinics, community pharmacy workers, public health workers who administer COVID-19 tests, school nurses, and mortuary workers such as medical examiners and embalmers.

Disclosure: The Texas Medical Association has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Find a complete list of them here.