279 The Aging Immune System: Vaccines, Healthy Longevity and What We Can Learn from Covid with Michael T. Myers JR MD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 08/03/2026
280 What Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Teach Us About Healthspan Extension and Aging Youthfully with Dr. Mao Shing Ni DACM, LAc, PhD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the path to healthy longevity lies not in choosing between ancient healing traditions and modern science, but in learning how to integrate both? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Dr. Mao Shing Ni—38th-generation doctor of Chinese medicine, co-founder of Tao of Wellness, and author of Secrets of Longevity—about how Traditional Chinese Medicine can complement modern approaches to healthspan optimization. Dr. Mao explains the foundational principles of Chinese medicine, including balance, the five elemental systems, and the links between organ function,...
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279 The Aging Immune System: Vaccines, Healthy Longevity and What We Can Learn from Covid with Michael T. Myers JR MD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
How does our immune system change as we age, and what role can vaccines play in supporting healthy longevity? In this informative episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch welcomes physician, healthcare executive, and medical writer Dr. Michael Myers for a thoughtful, evidence-based discussion about immunosenescence—the age-related decline of immune function—and its implications for healthy aging. Together they explore how vaccines work, why vaccine recommendations evolve throughout life, and the importance of understanding both the science and the uncertainties...
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278 The Muscle-Longevity Connection: Strength Training Supports Metabolism, Bones, and Healthy Longevity with Jeanne Phares
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What role does muscle strength play in healthy aging, longevity, and independence? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Jeanne Phares about why maintaining and building muscle becomes increasingly important for women during and after menopause. Drawing on her personal experience as a leukemia survivor and decades of strength training, Jeanne explains the connections between muscle mass, metabolism, bone health, resilience, and recovery. Listeners will learn practical strategies for strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle habits that support vitality...
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FB 109 Anne Mullens: Fueling with Fat: Demystifying the Ketogenic Lifestyle
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
THIS FLASHBACK FRIDAY EPISODE OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER focuses on the impact of low carbohydrate and ketogenic nutrition on health and aging well. Today’s Featured Expert is Anne Mullens, an award winning Canadian journalist and author specializing in Health and Science Writing, At a time when the twin hazards of diabetes and obesity are so prevalent in our society that we say that there is a diabesity epidemic, we are bombarded with discordant messages about what, when, and how to eat, to stay healthy and age gracefully. A goal of this podcast is to cut through the noise and provide...
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277 Chronic Pain, Mobility and Healthy Aging: The Muscle-Longevity Connection with Stacey Roberts
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Is chronic pain really an inevitable part of aging—or could it be a warning sign that deeper imbalances are affecting your healthspan, mobility, and quality of life? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with physical therapist, registered nurse, educator, and functional wellness expert,Stacey Roberts, about the root causes of chronic pain and why conventional treatments often focus on symptom relief instead of true healing. Stacey explains how chronic inflammation, food sensitivities, hormone imbalance, gut health issues, biomechanics, and lifestyle...
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Flashback Friday 005 Susan Bock Smith and Judy Bjornson: Becoming Fall-Proof
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
“You got to just move. It doesn’t matter how efficient your movements are, what matters is that you are moving.” - Susan Bock Smith
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276 Why You Never Get Over Grief -and Why That's Good with Thomas Attig
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Grief is not a problem to be solved or something we simply “get over.” In this profound conversation, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with philosopher and grief expert Thomas Attig about mourning as a lifelong process of relearning how to live in a world forever changed by loss. Drawing on decades of scholarship and personal insight, Thomas explains how grief can deepen our love, strengthen resilience, and help us find wisdom and meaning in life’s most difficult transitions. This episode offers compassionate guidance for anyone grieving a loved one or supporting someone through loss. Thomas...
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FB 026 Brian Morgan: Think Deeply, Speak Clearly, Bridge the Divide
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
I talk with Brian Morgan. President of Think Deeply, Write Clearly about bridging the many divides that are polarizing our society, through creative thought and communication.
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275 Reverse Diabetes and Restore Vitality Through Functional Nutrition with Lori Balue
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and declining strength after 50 are not inevitable signs of aging, but signals of underlying metabolic dysfunction that can be corrected? In episode 275, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with metabolic restoration practitioner, Lori Balue, about how women can restore energy, reduce inflammation, preserve muscle, and regain metabolic resilience through personalized nutrition and functional testing. Lori shares her remarkable journey of losing 100 pounds, reversing prediabetes and chronic inflammation, and transforming her health in midlife. Listeners will...
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FB 118 Dr. Douglas Scharre: Alzheimer's ? or Simply Aging ?
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
THIS FLASHBACK FRIDAY EPISODE OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER focuses on the effect of aging on brain functions, affecting many attributes of cognition, like memory and processing speed; and on the importance of recognizing the early warning signs of dementia for early treatment. Today’s guest is neuropsychiatrist and creator of the SAGE test, Dr. Douglas Scharre. Dr. Scharre is board certified in neurology, behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry with special interests in cognitive assessment, degenerative dementias and dementia-related behaviors. He joined The Ohio...
info_outlineHow does our immune system change as we age, and what role can vaccines play in supporting healthy longevity? In this informative episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch welcomes physician, healthcare executive, and medical writer Dr. Michael Myers for a thoughtful, evidence-based discussion about immunosenescence—the age-related decline of immune function—and its implications for healthy aging. Together they explore how vaccines work, why vaccine recommendations evolve throughout life, and the importance of understanding both the science and the uncertainties surrounding public health recommendations. Listeners will gain practical insights into immune health, healthspan optimization, brain health and aging, and informed healthcare decision-making.
Dr. Michael Myers is a physician, healthcare executive, medical writer, and educator with more than 35 years of experience in clinical medicine, healthcare leadership, and public health. He trained at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Medical School before pursuing a career in primary care medicine and physician leadership.He most recently served as Chief of Primary Care and Chief of Pediatrics for one of New Jersey's largest medical group practices. His work focuses on preventive medicine, vaccine education, public health communication, and helping patients understand complex medical science. He is the author of The Vaccine Bible: A Comprehensive, Commonsense Guide to What Keeps Us Safe from the Flu, Hepatitis Measles and More. In the Guide he explains how vaccines are developed, how they work, their safety, effectiveness, and the diseases they help prevent.
Episode Timeline
00:00 – Welcome and why vaccines matter to healthy longevity
04:15 – Dr. Michael Myers' medical career and what inspired The Vaccine Bible
09:45 – Understanding the immune system: innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and immune memory
17:45 – Immunosenescence: how the immune system changes with age
23:30 – Individualizing vaccine recommendations throughout adulthood
30:25 – Vaccines most relevant for older adults, including influenza, pneumococcal disease, RSV, COVID-19, and shingles
32:30 – Emerging research linking shingles vaccination with reduced dementia risk
34:00 – COVID-19, children, public health messaging, and lessons learned from the pandemic
42:55 – Vaccine confidence, public trust, and addressing misinformation
52:20 – Autism research, vaccine myths, and current scientific understanding
55:35 – Dr. Myers' key message on vaccines, prevention, and healthy aging
Connect with Dr. Michael Myers
The Vaccine Bible—Bookshop.org
Connect with your host, Dr, Gillian Lockitch
email: askdrgill@gmail.com For a personalized one on one conversation about health aging strategies
Website: www.askdrgill.com
https://www.facebook.com/gillian.lockitch/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillianlockitch/