Date Time Early intervention to prevent common cold symptoms Colds can be annoying and troublesome. They can stop you doing what you want to do and what you have to do. Adults will typically catch two to four colds a year, while children may experience as many as five to 10 colds a year. 1,2 It is not possible to vaccinate against the common cold due to the large number of viruses that can cause it. However, people can help to prevent colds by following good hygiene measures and using products that help trap and remove cold viruses. Customers may ask pharmacy assistants about products to prevent a cold, stop the development of a cold, or shorten the duration of a cold.