Vaccination efforts are progressing in Stanislaus County while the area continues to see COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths grow, including the first pediatric mortality for the county.

The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency reported on Tuesday that a child with underlying medical conditions died from COVID-19. Information about the child, including age, gender and hometown were not released.

As of Tuesday, Stanislaus County has recorded 36,439 COVID-19 cases and 638 deaths. Currently, 274 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and six suspected cases are hospitalized, with 67 of those in intensive care units. The adult ICU bed availability is down to 2.5%, representing three open and staffed beds, according to the SCHSA data.

Over the next couple of weeks health officials are expecting to see hospitalizations increase among people who contracted the virus during the holiday season. Stanislaus County Public Health Officer Dr. Julie Vaishampayan told the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that it would be a "surge on top of a surge."

While hospitals are dealing with those sickened by the virus, health officials are working on the vaccination program. Stanislaus County has received both the Pzifer and Moderna vaccines and have been doling them out to those in Phase 1A-Tier 1, which includes acute healthcare workers, emergency medical technicians and assisted living staff and residents.

The county expects to finish this first tier by the end of the week, said county health spokesperson Kamlesh Kaur. The vaccination of individuals in Tier 2 began Tuesday and includes workers at intermediate care facilities, home healthcare workers, public health staff and veterans.

The expectation is that this tier will be completed by late February. The third tier in the phase is slated to start this month and includes workers at specialty clinics, laboratories, dental clinics, pharmacies and mortuaries.