While the discovery of a case in the community in Brisbane is a major cause for concern, this should not be allowed to mask the fact authorities were well aware of the danger before Christmas.

If reducing the number of incoming international travellers, barring those who test positive prior to departure, and insisting travellers wear masks during their flights and in airports makes sense now, it certainly made sense at least a month ago.

The same is true for the belated adoption of a national standard mandating daily testing of people working in hotel quarantine and the requirement masks also be worn on domestic flights. Many prominent epidemiologists have been urging the adoption of such measures since the beginning of the pandemic.

That said, this is definitely a case of better late than never and, on a more positive note, the existence of a clearly defined threat will focus people's attention on the need for these measures and hopefully pre-empt the objections that will be made in some quarters.

One action that cannot be faulted is Annastacia Palaszczuk's decision to call a short, sharp lockdown in Brisbane after a cleaner who worked in hotel quarantine tested positive to the UK strain.

While a three day lockdown will not break the train of infection, the purpose of the exercise is to give Queensland's contact tracers breathing space to identify people the "special case" has come into contact with.

Given the UK strain is on track to become the dominant form of the virus on the planet, and is at least 70 per cent more infectious than previous strains, it is imperative it not be allowed to gain a foothold here.

Because of its virulence, the efficacy of measures such as handwashing, social distancing and the like would be at least partially undermined if it were to get out into the community.

The only good news is that there is no indication the new strain is more resistant to vaccines than previous variants. And, on that subject, unlike many governments around the world, Australian authorities seem to have the inoculation rollout well in hand.

Thursday's announcement that vaccines could begin to be distributed as early as next month, well ahead of the original date of late March, is as welcome as it is timely. This is definitely a case of, as the Prime Minister has become fond of saying, it being "better to under-promise and over-deliver than to over-promise and to under-deliver".

While there have been many calls, including from Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese, for the rollout to begin as soon as vaccines receive regulatory approval, the national cabinet and its health advisers have done the right thing by making haste slowly.

Vaccines are just one part of the equation. It is just as important to have the delivery infrastructure in place to ensure the transition from the international transport plane into the arms of the aged, the frail, health workers, emergency responders and hotel quarantine workers is as smooth as possible.

None of the countries that pressed ahead with rushed rollouts have fared well, with reports of confusion, of the wastage of tens of thousands doses of very expensive vaccines, disappointing delays, and lower-than-hoped-for take-up rates.

Australia, as AMA president Dr Omar Khorshid said this week, is in a unique position to learn from the experiences of others. The vaccine rollout is the best hope this country has of a return to "normalcy" in 2021. We need to take the time to get it right.