The best way to avoid a sore throat is to practice the basics of staying healthy: have your children wash their hands frequently (we’ve got mom-tested tricks for making it easier), teach them not to share cups or utensils, and keep them away from people who seem sick. You can do your part to curb infection by keeping your kid home when he has a sore throat accompanied by a fever (a child with a sore throat but no other symptoms is fine to go to school or daycare).

Epiglottitis is prevented by getting the Hib vaccine around 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, and between 12 and 15 months. If your child did not receive these shots as a baby, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends them for older kids with weakened immune systems.