The Crown is deflecting blame after it's Covid Response was found to be actively breaching the Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Waitangi Tribunal has slammed the Crown for rejecting its own experts' advice to prioritise vaccinating elderly Maori.

It also found the rapid shift to the traffic light system - before the country hit 90 percent vaccination - put Maori at great risk.

Response Minister Chris Hipkins says those decisions were made due to limited vaccine supply but those constraints no longer exist.

He says he's confident the choices they are making for their next vaccine roll out will avoid equity issues.

The vaccine roll out for five to 11-year-olds starts January 17, and booster shots can now be booked four months after the second jab.