Inflammation is essential to repair tissue damaged by physical, microbial or allergic mechanisms. Inappropriately zealous responses lead to destructive pathology or chronic disease cycles, whereas ideal outcomes are associated with complete and rapid restoration of tissue structure and function. The establishment of a rodent model investigating the different immune responses to non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae infection in both the lung and the ear indicate an ability to clear bacteria and reduce inflammation following mucosal immunisation. Lung histochemistry, upregulaion of macrophages and polymorphonuclear neutrophils, recruitment of γδ+ and CD8+ T cells, cytokine levels and depletion studies all support the hypothesis that mucosal immunisation facilitates control of the immune response resulting in enhanced bacterial clearance and programming of inflammation which limits damage and promotes the rapid restoration of structural normality.