How do Van der Waals forces affect the boiling point of helium?

Although the normal boiling point of liquid helium is only approximately 4.2 K due to the weak attractive van der Waals forces between atoms, helium could not liquify at all in the absence of these forces!

Most molecules have an electric dipole moment due to the uneven distribution of protons and electrons' charges; these attractive interactions, along with weaker dipole/induced-dipole and dispersion forces, are what allow most substances to condense into liquids and solids. Van der Waals forces are attractive interactions between atoms and molecules that are much weaker than ordinary chemical bonds.

Water has an exceptionally high boiling point because of hydrogen bonding, a particularly strong form of van der Waals interaction. However, these forces are still weaker than those found in chemical bonds.

Since helium lacks a permanent dipole moment, the attractive interactions are almost exclusively derived from instantaneous induced-dipole interactions, in which the motions of electrons on two different atoms are correlated to create a very small net attractive force between two transient dipole moments.

Van der Waals forces have a minimal effect on the boiling point of helium. Helium exists as a monatomic gas at standard conditions, and its boiling point is primarily determined by the strength of its intermolecular forces, which are very weak due to its low atomic mass and lack of a permanent dipole moment. As a result, helium has a very low boiling point of -268.9°C (-452°F), and Van der Waals forces play a negligible role in influencing its boiling point.