A method of reducing or preventing the development of airway inflammation in a subject includes the step of infecting the respiratory tract of a subject an amount of a composition including a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and live attenuated pertactin-deficient Bordetella bacteria sufficient to colonize the respiratory tract of the subject. The step of infecting the subject with the live attenuated pertactin-deficient Bordetella bacteria results in reduction or prevention of the development of airway inflammation in the subject.
