The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to rethink our understanding of vulnerability. This conversation has started to emerge in different forums across the Nordics. In this context, the Nordics have seen different responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this piece, we present three dimensions needed to push beyond the traditional notions of categories in understanding vulnerability. We also present different examples on how vulnerability manifested itself through different dimensions which may be different to natural hazards.