Influenza pandemics are among the most pressing global threats to human life and security. The state of the art in medical, epidemiological, and social science research on the extreme vulnerability of Indigenous people to severe influenza disease is carried out in silos, and the factors uniting the infectious disease experiences of Indigenous peoples across continents of the world are rarely considered in concert. In this project we have done the first interdisciplinary research project integrating genetic, epidemiological, and social factors to unravel common factors for why Indigenous groups in Scandinavia, North America, and Oceania have all been highly susceptible to influenza, both in historical times and today. This project was also very timely and relevant as indigenous people also are extremely vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic.