Well we decided to go ahead with the duct cleaning. Given the allergy issues we decided to giive it a try. Found a reputable reasonably priced local firm recommended a trusted realtor/neighbor. Stay away from the big guys like Zeroex. Their price was exponential.
They put a rotary brush down each vent with vacuum suction to pull loosened material followed by a chemical treatment to kill mold. We were happy with the service and the techs that did the work and we were surprised how much dust and debris was captued in the filter after the cleaning. This filter was brand new before the cleaning.