The 5 Best Allergists in Boston, MA
Board-certified allergy & asthma specialists practicing in Boston and Worcester.
If over-the-counter antihistamines stopped working, or your symptoms run for months instead of weeks, a board-certified allergist-immunologist can test what you actually react to and treat the cause. That includes immunotherapy, which lowers your sensitivity over three to five years. Our editors picked the 5 specialists below from the wider Massachusetts list based on board certification, hospital and academic affiliations, and peer recognition.
Allergists in Boston at a Glance
- Specialists listed:
- 5, all board-certified in Allergy & Immunology
- Areas covered:
- Boston and Worcester
- Practices:
- Massachusetts General Hospital – Allergy & Clinical Immunology Unit, Boston Children's Hospital – Division of Immunology, Massachusetts General Hospital – Food Allergy Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital – AERD Center, Northeast Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (NEAAI)
- Local pollen season:
- Tree pollen jumps in April with oak, birch, and maple, and grass peaks in late May and June. Ragweed runs from mid-August through the first hard frost, usually in mid-October.
Compare Boston Allergists
| Allergist | Practice | Location | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aleena Banerji, MD | Massachusetts General Hospital – Allergy & Clinical Immunology Unit | Boston, MA | Drug allergy, Vaccine allergy, Hereditary angioedema |
| Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS | Boston Children's Hospital – Division of Immunology | Boston, MA | Pediatric asthma, Food allergy, Allergic rhinitis |
| Wayne Shreffler, MD, PhD | Massachusetts General Hospital – Food Allergy Center | Boston, MA | Food allergy, Immunotherapy, Pediatric allergy |
| Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD | Brigham and Women's Hospital – AERD Center | Boston, MA | Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), Severe asthma, Nasal polyposis |
| Jordan E. Scott, MD | Northeast Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (NEAAI) | Worcester, MA | Allergic rhinitis, Asthma, Food allergy |
- 1
Aleena Banerji, MD
Massachusetts General Hospital – Allergy & Clinical Immunology Unit
Boston, MA
Board-certified in Allergy & ImmunologyProfessor of Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolFellow of the AAAAI (FAAAAI)Clinical Director, Allergy & Clinical Immunology Unit, MGHDr. Banerji is Professor at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Director of the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital. A nationally recognized expert in drug allergy, vaccine allergy, and hereditary angioedema, she has collaborated on multiple novel HAE agents and has published over 50 peer-reviewed manuscripts, including international guidelines for angioedema management.
Areas of focus: Drug allergy · Vaccine allergy · Hereditary angioedema · Urticaria and angioedema
Visit practice website → - 2
Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS
Boston Children's Hospital – Division of Immunology
Boston, MA
Board-certified in Allergy & ImmunologyBoard-certified in PediatricsS. Jean Emans Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical SchoolFellow of the AAAAIElected member, American Society of Clinical InvestigationElected member, American Association of PhysiciansDr. Phipatanakul is the S. Jean Emans Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and director of the Division of Immunology Research Center at Boston Children's Hospital. Ranked in the top 5 world asthma experts by research impact over the past decade, she has authored over 400 publications in journals including JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine.
Areas of focus: Pediatric asthma · Food allergy · Allergic rhinitis · Environmental exposures and asthma
Visit practice website → - 3
Wayne Shreffler, MD, PhD
Massachusetts General Hospital – Food Allergy Center
Boston, MA
Board-certified in Allergy & ImmunologyBoard-certified in PediatricsAssociate Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical SchoolFellow of the AAAAI (elected 2009)Chief, Pediatric Allergy & Immunology, MGHDirector, Food Allergy Center, MGHDr. Shreffler is Chief of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology and Director of the Food Allergy Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he joined Harvard Medical School faculty in 2009 to build a dedicated food allergy translational research and clinical center. He holds MD and PhD degrees from New York University and has maintained continuous NIH funding since 2007 for research into the immune mechanisms underlying food allergy.
Areas of focus: Food allergy · Immunotherapy · Pediatric allergy · Immune mechanisms of allergic disease
Visit practice website → - 4
Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD
Brigham and Women's Hospital – AERD Center
Boston, MA
Board-certified in Allergy & ImmunologyAssociate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolDirector, Translational Research in Allergy, Brigham and Women's HospitalDirector, AERD Center, Brigham and Women's HospitalDr. Laidlaw is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-directs both the AERD Center and Translational Research in Allergy at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She is a leading national expert on aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease and nasal polyposis, with an active translational research program investigating the platelet-driven lipid pathways that cause severe respiratory inflammation.
Areas of focus: Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) · Severe asthma · Nasal polyposis · NSAID allergy
Visit practice website → - 5
Jordan E. Scott, MD
Northeast Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (NEAAI)
Worcester / Greater Boston (multiple locations), MA
Board-certified in Allergy & ImmunologyDr. Scott is a board-certified allergist and immunologist at Northeast Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (NEAAI), one of the largest multi-site allergy practices in Massachusetts with six locations spanning Greater Boston and Central Massachusetts. NEAAI is among the most established independent allergy groups in the state, serving patients across Worcester, Newton, Concord, Leominster, Sudbury, and Stoneham.
Areas of focus: Allergic rhinitis · Asthma · Food allergy · Immunotherapy
Visit practice website →
Allergy Season in Boston
Tree pollen jumps in April with oak, birch, and maple, and grass peaks in late May and June. Ragweed runs from mid-August through the first hard frost, usually in mid-October.
Bring dates to your appointment. An allergist can narrow the list of suspects much faster when you can say “this started the second week of April” and match it against what was actually in the air.
- Today's pollen count in Boston for tree, grass, and weed levels plus a 5-day forecast
- Boston air quality for ozone and particle pollution, which make pollen symptoms worse
How We Picked These Boston Allergists
Our editorial team reviewed allergy and immunology specialists practicing across Greater Boston and selected these 5 on:
- Board certification in Allergy & Immunology (ABAI)
- Hospital and academic affiliations with respected medical centers
- Peer recognition, including Top Doctor awards and professional society roles
- Practice reputation and years treating allergy and asthma patients
- Coverage across the metro, so the list is not all one hospital system
These listings are editorial picks, not paid placements or medical endorsements, and we have no financial relationship with any provider listed. Availability, insurance participation, and credentials change. Verify directly with the practice before booking. This page is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the best allergists in Boston?
Our editors picked 5 board-certified allergist-immunologists practicing in Greater Boston: Aleena Banerji, MD at Massachusetts General Hospital – Allergy & Clinical Immunology Unit in Boston; Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS at Boston Children's Hospital – Division of Immunology in Boston; Wayne Shreffler, MD, PhD at Massachusetts General Hospital – Food Allergy Center in Boston; Tanya M. Laidlaw, MD at Brigham and Women's Hospital – AERD Center in Boston; Jordan E. Scott, MD at Northeast Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (NEAAI) in Worcester. All are board-certified in Allergy & Immunology.
When is allergy season in Boston?
Tree pollen jumps in April with oak, birch, and maple, and grass peaks in late May and June. Ragweed runs from mid-August through the first hard frost, usually in mid-October.
See today's pollen count in Boston →Do I need a referral to see an allergist in Boston?
That depends on your insurance plan, not your city. Most PPO plans let you book straight with an allergist. HMO plans usually want a referral from your primary care doctor first. Call the practice or your insurer before you book.
How much does an allergist visit cost in Boston?
A first visit with a specialist typically runs $150 to $300 without insurance, and skin testing for a panel of environmental allergens usually adds $200 to $1,000 depending on how many allergens are tested. With insurance you pay your specialist copay, though testing is often billed separately. Ask the office for a cost estimate and their billing codes when you book.
What should I bring to my first allergist appointment?
Bring a list of your symptoms and the dates they flared, every medication you take including over-the-counter ones, your insurance card, and any past test results. Stop antihistamines 5 to 7 days before skin testing, since they can blunt the results. Confirm the exact timing with the office.
Check Boston pollen levels to match your flare dates →Are these Boston allergists accepting new patients?
That changes month to month, so call the practice to check. These are editorial picks, not paid placements, and we have no financial relationship with any provider listed. Verify current credentials, availability, and insurance participation directly with the office before you book.
Allergists in Nearby Cities
Before You Call
Start a symptom log this week. Note the day, what you felt, and what the pollen count was. Two or three weeks of that turns a vague “my allergies are bad” into something an allergist can work from.
- Check Boston pollen levels today
- See all Massachusetts allergists
- Read our allergy guides on symptoms, seasons, and relief