617. Are You Really Allergic to Penicillin?

Freakonomics Radio

Jan 10 2025 • 1 hr 3 mins

Like tens of millions of people, Stephen Dubner thought he had a penicillin allergy. Like the vast majority, he didn’t. This misdiagnosis costs billions of dollars and causes serious health problems, so why hasn’t it been fixed? And how about all the other things we think we’re allergic to?

  • SOURCES:
    • Kimberly Blumenthal, allergist-immunologist and researcher at Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
    • Theresa MacPhail, associate professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology.
    • Thomas Platts-Mills, professor of medicine at the University of Virginia.
    • Elena Resnick, allergist and immunologist at Mount Sinai Hospital.

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